Love, Rain, and Frozen Tears
by Sangami
Summary: When Lucy is critically injured in the Grand Magic Tournament, Juvia blames herself. "Juvia does not deserve Fairy Tail's kindness... Juvia does not deserve Gray-sama," she cries to the dark, pouring heavens. Enter one silver-haired ice mage and a very irritated Gray. Set after manga chapter 291: Naval Battle. Gray x Juvia x Lyon
1. Naval Battle

Set during manga chapter 291. Please note that this story will have spoilers up until chapter 291. The story will diverge after this chapter, as I have my own plot in mind and do not wish to simply rewrite Fairy Tail in short novel form. Chapter 291 will be the only chapter I rewrite, since it is my inspiration and the basis of this fanfic.

Positive reviews encourage me to write more, and constructive criticism helps make me a better writer. :)

Disclaimer: This authoress hereby declares Fairy Tail to be property of Mashima Hiro, blessed be his imagination.

**Chapter 1-Naval Battle**

Grand Magic Tournament, Day 4

Competition Portion: Naval Battle. 1 Participant per team.

A large sphere of water swirls lazily above the arena, held up by glowing violet runes. The sphere is large enough to cover the entire stadium, dancing water glimmering like a giant snow globe for the audience to admire.

"The player who leaves the sphere of water will lose. The remaining person will be the victor. In the event that there are 2 participants remaining in the sphere, a special rule will be added. The 5 minute rule. If within 5 minutes one of the two leave, that person will be given the least points." The judges explain the rules of the competition as one member of each guild dives into the orb of water.

Juvia is chosen to represent Fairy Tail team B. She welcomes the cool sensation of water against her skin. This is her element. She is confident that she will not lose— that she will redeem herself after her horrendous performance in Day One's competition.

Idly, she scopes out her competition: The bikini model from Blue Pegasus, the wind user from Lamia Scale, the chubby-skinny mage from Mermaid Heel, the replacement female from Saber Tooth, and Lucy. Out of all of them, the only ones that might pose a challenge are Lucy—Juvia knows Aquarius is strong—and the Saber Tooth woman—Minerva, the judge introduces—whose powers are unknown to Juvia.

It's too bad the water is magically enchanted to be breathable to normal humans. But Juvia supposes it wouldn't be much of a competition if everyone but herself were to suffocate in the water sphere.

"This has become quite the beautiful picture! A girl from every team here with their swim suits! Thank you x10!" One of the judges cries. The males from the audience seem to agree, if their frantic picture taking, wolf whistles, and heart shaped eyes are any indication.

"Umm… I'm also here with a kind of wild…" Quattro Puppy's member grumbles. The gel keeping his gravity-defying hair in place appears to be waterproof.

"Hmm?" Juvia glances around. She could have sworn she heard a whiny male voice mumble something incoherently. Must have been her imagination.

"The rules are simple: If you leave the water you lose! Naval Battle Commence!" The ringing of the gong echoes through the stadium, signaling the start of the event.

"Right off the bat, but sorry everyone!" Lucy shouts, brandishing her celestial key. "Open! Gate of Aquarius!"

How predictable. Juvia charges her spell as Aquarius emerges.

"AGGGHHH! The water is my playground!" The celestial spirit bellows, brows creased in vindictive fury. She was about to go on a date, dammit! And Lucy had to summon her _now_, of all times? She would finish this quickly and then give Lucy a good verbal thrashing. And maybe water whip her a few times. She lifts her vase to unleash a torrent of water to push out the contestants.

"Juvia won't let you!" Unleashing her Water Cyclone spell at the same time as Aquarius, the two water users clash and create a water vortex that sucks in several other contestants. Juvia pushes her magic, trying to overpower Aquarius. Though she is facing one of the strongest celestial spirits, her own powers over water are near legendary—she wasn't part of Phantom Lord's Element Four for nothing. Ultear's power boost might have helped too. Slowly but surely, she feels Aquarius begin to buckle under her assault.

"This isn't going to end well, so I'm going to return now." Aquarius tells Lucy.

"Eh? Why? You're the best in water, I have to depend on you!" The blonde mage argues.

"I have a date." The water spirit grins smugly. _Unlike you~ _And with that she vanishes, ignoring Lucy's shrieks of protest.

Seizing the opening, Juvia rushes in and shoves Lucy toward the edge of the water sphere with a strong current of water. But, inches away from being pushed out, Lucy manages to stop her momentum with the help of Aries and Virgo. _Tch, Juvia was so close too._

Time to stop playing around and claim victory for Fairy Tail B. _I'll throw them all out at once! There is nobody who can win against Juvia in the water! _It's time to unleash _that_ spell. Juvia had gone through excruciating pain when Ultear unlocked her second magical core, but it is worth it if it means she can make Fairy Tail proud. And with her newfound power, she has drawn inspiration from her precious Gray-sama and created a unique spell with which to win this match. Lifting her arms, she infuses the surrounding water with her magical power.

"Juvia will unleash a unique spell she acquired!" The water mage proudly announces for the stadium to hear. Water flows around her, heeding her every beck and call. "Go forward! Wings of Love! GRAY-SAMA LOVE!" She shouts with all her might. Heart shaped torrents spread from Juvia and encompass the entire water sphere.

Out in the audience, Gray's jaw drops. _GRAY-SAMA LOVE? _Did Juvia really name a spell after him, and not only that—shout it loud enough for the whole world to hear? "Q-QUIT IT!" He yells to Juvia, lest she feel the need to repeat herself.

He can see the headlines already: First Casualty of the Grand Magic Tournament: Fairy Tail Ice Mage Drops Dead from Embarrassment. And in a smaller font, a sub headline: Water mage proclaims love in front of billions. Okay so maybe that is a slight exaggeration—the stadium can't fit that many people—but still! There are a LOT of people out there. Many of whom are now pointing at Gray and openly laughing. Dammit, the big screen monitors placed around the stadium are zoomed in on his mortified expression too! For the love of ice-cream, go back to showing the contest! Where's a paper bag to hide your head in when you need one?

Next to Gray, Natsu is cackling like a madman, wheezing "Gray- kehehe… sama… haha… LOVE!" At the last word, Natsu doubles over and is practically rolling on the floor. If he was less traumatized, Gray might have taken the opportunity to kick him in the head.

Erza looks at Gray and dabs at the corners of her eyes, moved to tears. "What a beautiful confession." She croons. "Gray, you should name a spell after Juvia too, and show it to the world!"

_Hell NO!_

Wendy stifles a giggle and quickly puts on a poker face when the perturbed mage glowers at her. Well, as good of a poker face as a twelve-year old girl can manage. _At least she's trying. _Gray eyes the way her lips twitch upwards, clamp down into a forced grimace, then start twitching upwards again as her cheeks get redder and redder from the exertion.

"That Juvia… She's a feisty one," Lyon sighs happily from Lamia Scale's viewing balcony as he tries to imprint the image of her bikini-skirt into his mind. Polka dots are wonderful.

"Shouldn't you be a little more… discouraged?" His teammate Yuka wonders, a sweat drop forming above one of his garishly prominent eyebrows.

"Incredible! Juvia has thrown out three opponents in one go! Juvia's strength is unrivaled in the waters!" The announcer proclaims, and Juvia spreads her arms open as cheers erupt from the crowd. Certain that she has impressed her guild, she turns to the spectator stands—_Did you get hot from watching Juvia? Gray-sama?_—and freezes. There, on the wide magic monitors, is a close up of her dearest Gray-sama. But, rather than the expression of pride she had expected, Gray is dripping with perspiration, eyes sunken, and jaw hanging.

_He's disgusted!_

Juvia's confidence evaporates, her heart drops to her stomach, and she feels frozen like a statue; did Evergreen use stone-eyes on her? And the next thing she knows, she is no longer in the water sphere. She is falling and flailing through the air and she hardly has time to utter an unintelligible "eh?" before she hits the ground face first.

"Ouchieee!" She moans through a mouthful of sand. What on earth happened?

"Huhu." Within the water sphere, Minerva chuckles. That was almost too easy. She had expected the water mage to be at least slightly entertaining due to her elemental advantage, but she had dropped her guard so completely that the Saber Tooth simply couldn't resist teleporting her out. Taking advantage of weakness is like a built in reflex.

"The only two left are Minerva and Lucy! Now, who will be the victor? Saber Tooth, or Fairy Tail?" the announcer questions.

Minerva's perfectly painted lips quirk into a wry smile. Isn't the answer obvious?

"We have applied the 5 minute rule. During these 5 minutes, if one of them falls out of the water, they will gain the least amount of points from this event." The referee further explains.

"With my magical power, I could throw you out of the water in an instant." Minerva says to the stupid celestial spirit mage. She has seen Lucy's first battle. Being beaten by hair, of all things? Just because that now-disqualified mage threatened a useless child? The very epitome of weakness and stupidity. "However, that wouldn't be very satisfying. Let's see how long you last, Fairy Tail."

Lucy's screams echo through the stadium as Minerva unleashes a small barrage of heat bubbles. How pitiful, Minerva isn't even trying. After enduring several hits (and squealing with each one), the blonde finally reaches for her celestial keys and realizes they are missing. Unimpressed, the female Saber Tooth jingles Lucy's keys tauntingly, having stolen them some time ago. Really, celestial spirit mages are absolutely useless. Take away their keys and they can't lift a finger against you. No wonder there are so few left in Fiore.

Almost lazily, the dark haired mage continues to fire at Lucy, who does nothing but get hit and scream. She is beginning to regret teleporting the water mage out instead of the celestial one. That love-sick fool would have at least put up a bit of a fight, though she would inevitably lose, of course.

Minerva barely suppresses a yawn when she speaks. "It's about time I send you flying outside." There is only about a minute left before the five minute limit runs out.

"If I lose here…" Lucy replies, "I won't be able to face everyone who tried so hard! I won't betray everyone's emotions. That's why I'll never give up." Though one eye is nearly swollen shut, her face glows with determination. Rather than retreating like a logical person, she stands her ground even against overwhelming odds.

For a moment, Minerva halts her attack. Emotions… never give up…? What nonsense is this? She remembers her father's words, "Power is everything. In this world, those without power are trash. Become strong, or you are useless to me." Taking those words to heart, she trained every day until her bones broke and skin bled. Day after day of torture, and finally she is here now; one of the strongest mages of Saber Tooth, respected by even the guild master—her father.

"What's going on? Minerva has stopped her attack. At this rate, the clock will pass the five minute time limit!" The announcer broadcasts.

"Alright, you can do it Lucy!" Natsu cheers with the rest of Fairy Tail.

And suddenly an irrepressible rage fills Minerva's heart. This weak little blonde has gained the love and respect of her guild without even needing to try—without ever having to suffer—simply by spouting empty little words from her pretty little mouth. Minerva is sure that she has never trained a single day in her life.

Actually, Lucy did train. Once. Three months ago. Though she would have trained more if not for the mishap with the whole one-spirit-world-day-equals-three-human-months fiasco. But Minerva does not know of this, and likely would not have a better opinion of Lucy even if she did. All she knows is that this weakling has everything she ever wanted handed to her on a silver platter, while Minerva has had to claw, struggle, fight with all her strength to get to where she is now. And even now, she does not have the love of her guild, only respect—and perhaps fear—of her strength. _It isn't fair._

Without warning, Minerva strikes Lucy with a strong blast of heat. She is putting some power into her attack now, though not enough to kill; just enough to cause pain—lots of it.

"You have your heads in the clouds, Fairy Tail!" She exclaims, "What kind of heart do you think we have? We are number one in the whole world! We are Saber Tooth!"

Her attack nearly sends Lucy flying out of the water sphere, but she teleports the blonde back in front of her and knees her in the side. _You stupid, naïve, useless piece of trash! I will give you a taste of the real world—of the pain I endured every day to get where I am! _She is enjoying Lucy's shrieks of pain. A wide, cruel grin spreads across her face.

_This is fun._


	2. Confrontation

Special thanks to Essence97, Sarapyon, Anon, and MissForgetfulMe. I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review; it really helps keep me motivated to continue. ^-^ Also, many thanks to the silent readers out there. Nothing makes a writer prouder than having their story read and enjoyed.

**Chapter 2- Confrontation**

31 seconds…

Lucy's cries of agony echo off the stadium walls.

30 seconds…

Time is ticking down far too slowly.

29 seconds…

"STOP IT!" Natsu is screaming.

28 seconds…

Juvia tears her eyes away from the magical timer. Lucy is being tortured. It is obvious to everyone that Minerva has already won, and yet she continues to beat Lucy as she screams and screams and _screams._ Each cry feels like a stab to Juvia's heart, and her gut twists in a sickening knot. If only she hadn't fallen out of the water sphere, she could save Lucy. But now, it is against tournament rules for her to return to the water.

_Please, Loki, Horologium—anyone! Appear! Come save Lucy like you always do! _Juvia closes her eyes and prays with all her might. But she is no celestial spirit mage, and nobody appears.

When Juvia opens her eyes, there are 14 seconds left on the clock and Lucy has stopped screaming and there is blood flowing freely from her limp body and- and—!

Minerva lifts her fist to deliver the final blow.

Screw the rules! Juvia is half way transformed into her water body and leaping to re-enter the water sphere—

"The referee says STOP!" The pumpkin head yells in alarm.

Minerva pulls her punch and instead grabs Lucy by the throat, dangling her outside the water sphere like a rag doll.

"The match has ended! Victor, Minerva! Lucy hasn't been moving for a while. Is she okay?" The worried voice of the commentator rings out.

"Lucy!" Natsu and Gray vault over the arena walls and race towards their friend's motionless form.

The vicious Saber Tooth releases Lucy and she falls through the air. Natsu and Gray kick up clouds of sand in their desperation to reach her, but they manage to catch her right before she hits the ground.

Natsu entrusts Lucy to Gray as he turns to shout obscenities at Minerva. While Natsu is not known to have a dirtier-than-average mouth, his tirade is almost enough to make Gajeel—who is known to have a _very_ dirty mouth— blush. His body is roiling with flames and it is all he can do to stop himself from going up to the bitch and tearing her throat out. Her teammates step in between them and Erza holds him back, grabbing both his arms and pinning his back to her chest. "If you get Fairy Tail disqualified, all of Lucy's efforts will be wasted," she murmurs in his ear. But Saber Tooth's sneers of condescension infuriate him, and it is _so tempting_ to scorch those grins off their faces.

"Hang in there!" Gray ignores Natsu's temper tantrum as he stares intently at the girl in his arms, worry etched in every line of his face. _Be strong Lucy, help is coming. Just hang in there! _She is unresponsive and Gray isn't even sure how to hold her to avoid agitating her injuries—because, dear god, she is hurt everywhere. _Everywhere._

A seed of jealousy sprouts within Juvia, creeping up like a dark, spiteful shadow. Would Gray-sama be so caring if it was Juvia? Blue eyes widen and she ruthlessly crushes her traitorous emotions. "Now is _not_ the time," she hisses angrily at herself, before rushing to Lucy's aid.

Juvia is surprised Lucy's tiny string bikini has managed to stay intact after such a brutal assault, but she is glad that, at the very least, her friend does not have to endure the humiliation of being stripped naked in addition to her torture. Her heart breaks a little with every wound she sees on her body. Gently, ever so gently, she begins to clean the blood and sand off Lucy's broken figure, making sure her water is cold enough to sooth, but not so cold as to chill her.

When Chelia and Wendy gather on either side of Lucy, Juvia shifts closer to Gray to give them space. Her shoulder is pressed against his, but she ignores it as she focuses on cleansing Lucy's wounds for the two wind mages to heal.

"This is bad, this is really, really bad," Chelia whispers. Her hands are glowing brilliantly with magic, but Lucy hardly looks any better.

"There's so many—too many for us to heal." Wendy wants to cry at her inability, but she keeps the tears at bay. She will try, no, she _must_ do the best she can.

"Just heal the worst injuries first," Juvia suggests. "The medical squad can take care of the rest."

"Yes," Wendy replies. She meets Chelia's eyes, "we need to stop the internal bleeding."

The pink-haired god slayer nods, and the two girls radiate with magic as they pour as much energy into Lucy as their little bodies will allow. Too soon, they are completely spent as they kneel slumped over on the ground, sweat trickling down their foreheads.

"We- We stopped the bleeding," Wendy pants, "but she still needs help or-or she won't make it."

At her words, a small army of medics sweep in and carry Lucy off in a stretcher. "Get her to the operating room immediately!" The head medic orders.

When he sees Lucy being taken away, Natsu forcibly wrenches himself from Saber Tooth to follow her, Erza trailing him cautiously. Wendy begins rising to her feet unsteadily, but Gray stoops down and picks her up on his back as if giving her a piggy-back ride. "You did a good job," he says kindly, earning a small smile from the youngest dragon slayer.

Juvia tries not to feel anything when he passes her by without saying a word.

It doesn't work. A pang of hurt forms in her chest and Juvia remains in place, keeping her head down to prevent anyone from seeing. _Has Juvia done something wrong? Is Gray-sama angry? _She shakes her head and pushes the hurt aside. That isn't important right now.

"Thank you for your help, Chelia-san." Juvia helps the young mage to her feet with a grateful smile.

"You're welcome," Chelia replies with a smile of her own, "I hope your friend makes a full recovery. I should get back to Lamia Scale now." She darts toward her guild's section of the stadium, trips over herself, gets up like nothing happened, and continues on her way.

The Fairy Tail members in the spectator stands have already left for the infirmary and Juvia is the only one left in the stadium. Her smile fades into worry for Lucy and she turns to follow her guild.

"Huhu, all that fuss over useless trash." Minerva mocks, earning a few chuckles from her fellow teammates.

At those words, a cold rage flows through Juvia and she finds her eyes locked to Minerva's, glaring with silent ferocity.

"What, you don't agree? Rather than be angry at me, you should be grateful I let such garbage keep second place."

"Lucy is worth far more than you will ever be," Juvia seethes. Though she speaks quietly, there is an edge to her voice that makes her words harsher than any amount of screaming can achieve. "She is kind and always thinks about others before herself. She is loyal to her guild and her nakama. She will always do what is right, even if it isn't the easiest thing to do. She is beautiful and wonderful and loved by everyone. She is _everything you're not_!"

Saber Tooth glares at her, and for a moment Minerva's eyes cloud with rage. But the look is gone in an instant, replaced by a malevolent, knowing smile. "Shouldn't you be saying that to yourself?"

Juvia's jaw tightens, and Minerva knows she's hit a nerve. "Juvia doesn't know what you're talking about."

"Oh? I see the way you look at that boy. Gray, is it? Such a pity, your love will always be unrequited. He's obviously smitten with your perfect little Lucy."

Juvia opens her mouth to deny it—

"Did you see the way he worried for her? And then he completely ignored you!"

–but it is hard to deny the truth.

"He didn't even acknowledge that lovely little spell you made for him." For the sake of her argument, Minerva tries to keep the sarcasm from her voice at the mention of that ridiculous spell. "Hell, he looked downright disgusted by you!"

Juvia's eyes leave their deadlock with Minerva's and drift toward the ground.

"Your entire guild loves her more than you!" Minerva sneers wickedly. "Even unconscious, she still gets more attention."

"O-of course she would! She's in critical condition-"

"Just look around you," Minerva interrupts, gesturing at the empty balcony that Fairy Tail usually resides. "They've all gone to see precious Lucy and left you behind. I bet none of them even notice your absence. Or rather…" she purposely lets her sentence hang.

A look of confusion flashes across Juvia's features.

"Or rather, maybe they're just angry at you. Even though this was a water competition, in which you had every advantage, you still lost by getting distracted by your petty crush. Because of your failure, that celestial spirit mage was the one left with me. No one would have cared if you were the one beaten. But since it was dear, perfect Lucy, all of Fairy Tail is hurt. And it's your entire fault. For someone who claims to love her guild, you sure are selfish."

"You are full of lies." Despite the water mage's impassive facade, a heavy rain begins to pour. She is uncertain.

Minerva smiles in amusement. People are so easy to manipulate. Just throw in a few words of truth and twist it into poison. It leaves them doubting themselves, unable to discern where the truth ends and lies begin. She throws up a shield to cover herself and her team from the gloomy rain.

"Admit it, you like seeing Lucy fail."

"No."

"You like seeing her humiliated."

"NO!"

"You like seeing her tortured!"

**"SHUT UP!"**

The entire sphere of water behind Minerva bursts into a rapid boil, steam hissing through the air. A demonic face filled with unyielding fury glows within its blistering depths and the enormous orb parts as if opening its mouth to devour all in its path. Instead, it unleashes a fearsome howl and leans towards Minerva, towering hungrily over her; she can do nothing but stare in shock—it is a giant that blocks even the stormy sky, drowning her in its sheer size and intensity.

It happened so quickly, without any casting, without any chanting— _without any warning at all._ If Juvia had done that during the competition, Minerva would have been forced to teleport herself out or be broiled alive.

She could have lost. The thought leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. Although it did not happen, the mere possibility of losing is unacceptable. And Minerva knows, then and there, she _hates_ Juvia.

A voice crackles through the speakers. "Woah, it looks like both teams are about to have quite an explosive moment! The tournament committee would like to remind contestants that battles outside of tournament events are against the rules!"

The spectral mass of boiling water slowly reduces to a simmer, then fizzles back to its original harmless state. But the rain continues to fall.

"Juvia would never, _ever_, wish harm upon her nakama!" she says with absolute conviction. Steam rises from her bikini-clad body as she struggles to calm herself.

_Didn't your mother ever tell you, never say never?_ Minerva silently watches Juvia turn and walk away. A secret smile creeps across her face. She knows how to hurt her on the deepest level, far beyond what she did to Lucy.

Rogue has stood quietly next to his fellow Saber Tooth this entire time. Though he does not join his team in jeering at Fairy Tail, he does not rebuke them either. The dragon slayer is as emotionless as stone until he hears a faint whisper.

"Bloom of corruption," Minerva murmurs. From his close proximity, Rogue can feel magic flow down her gloved arms unseen.

His eyes widen marginally. Did she just…?


	3. Panic

**Chapter 3 - Panic**

Gray sits in the waiting room, jaws clenched. Natsu is pacing back and forth, back and forth. Erza leans against the wall with her arms crossed, her fingers drumming against her metal gauntlets impatiently. _Cla-cla-clang, cla-cla-clang. _Their rhythms are almost relaxing, as if lulling the room into a trance with their repetition. Except the tension in the air is so thick it is almost a physical presence that suffocates them.

Lucy is in the emergency room. Medics have been scrambling in and out for minutes, hours, days? Any time is too long. She should not be in there—should not be suffering.

Gray's mind replays Lucy's torment in his head over and over. Bile rises in the back of his throat. She does not deserve that kind of cruelty. Saber Tooth _will_ pay. He will make sure of it.

Levy seems to be whispering some sort of prayer under her breath, hands clasped in front of her and eyes shut tight.

"Don't worry, Levy-chan." Jet tries to comfort her, though he is clearly worried himself. "Lucy's ridiculously lucky! She always makes it out of bad situations one way or another. And besides, Porlyusica's in there with her. As grumpy as she is, she's a skilled healer!"

Levy manages a strained, wavering smile.

"He's right." Erza stops drumming her fingers and the lack of the metallic sound is almost jarring. "She managed to completely repair my eye." As if to illustrate the point, she blinks her artificial eye a few times. "We should have faith in our nakama. In both Porlyusica's abilities and in Lucy's strength. And don't forget some of the best medics and technology in all of Fiore are here."

Levy's smile is a bit more solid this time. "Yes. I- I'm still worried, but I know Lucy will pull through somehow. I believe in them."

"That's the spirit!" The door leading into the infirmary opens and the guild master walks in with a subdued but grandfatherly smile. "I know this may not be the best of times, but I have news from the tournament committee."

"Do we get to fight Saber Tooth? I'll beat the CRAP out of them!" Natsu's fists are already blazing crimson, and he looks thoroughly vengeful. Gray shares the sentiment, though he is less vocal about it and instead waits intently for Makarov to deliver the news.

"No, Natsu." The elder sighs at Natsu's predictable outburst while the fire mage deflates slightly. _Is he pouting?_

"Actually, the Grand Magic Tournament is being temporarily postponed."

A number of outbursts sound through the room, ranging from surprise to anger.

"Why?" Laxus asks. He was rather looking forward to, as Natsu put it, beating the CRAP out of certain people.

"Two reasons. The first…" Makarov gestures toward the door of the emergency room. "The citizens who watch and support the Grand Magic Tournament want to see a competition, not be witnesses to murder. A number of the audience were offended by today's… display… and have made formal complaints to the Magic Council. Today was the first time anyone in the tournament has been so severely and unnecessarily injured. The council is working to create new tournament guidelines that prevent such things from happening again."

"They really should have thought of that sooner…" Elfman grumbles to the agreement of his nearby guild mates. "How unmanly," he then adds, earning himself a slap to the back of his head from Evergreen.

"And the second reason?" Gray questions.

Makarov's expression turns unexpectedly serious, and he scans the room as if searching for something. "The weather."

Confused, Mirajane parts one of the thick decorative curtains in the waiting room and recoils in shock. Despite it being two in the afternoon of a hot summer day, the sky outside is black as tar and rain is falling so heavily it is as if the heavens are ripping apart. Flashes of lightning tear through the darkness. It is a testament to the architecture of Crocus that they cannot hear anything outside.

Multiple sets of eyes shift from the window to the resident water mage. Or try to. They wander the room in bewilderment when they cannot find her.

"Where the _hell_ is Juvia!" Gajeel looks livid, perhaps angry with himself for not noticing her absence sooner.

Gray feels similarly, his brows knit in concern. An image flashes in his mind: Juvia's head hangs down as he passes her silently. She tries to hide her dejection behind a curtain of blue hair, but he has already seen it.

Perhaps he should have said something then, but he felt too awkward after her embarrassing public declaration; plus there were really more pressing matters to attend to. Even so, guilt and worry slowly seep into his heart. He stares out the window at the raining apocalypse. _Did I cause this?_ But not even Juvia would get so emotional over such a little thing, would she? Maybe they are just over thinking this and it is a freak summer storm. And Juvia is just coincidentally missing.

_Pfft. _His stress-addled mind scoffs at his lame attempt at denial.

"It's as I feared. I was hoping to find Juvia here." Makarov utters solemnly. "Does anyone know what could have caused her to react like… this?" No one needs him to elaborate what _this_ refers to.

"I do." A foreign voice.

A shadow stretches behind Makarov. A few footsteps later, it reveals itself to be Rogue, who stops to stand framed by the still-open doorway to the infirmary.

Outrage. "_Saber Tooth._" A few Fairy Tail members hiss, saying the name as if it is a vile curse on their tongues.

A feral roar is the only warning Rogue gets before Natsu launches himself straight at him. "First you hurt Lucy and now you hurt Juvia too?!"

Erza catches Natsu's flaming fist right before it can connect with Rogue's face, but raises her sword to his neck in warning. She may have defended him, but that was only for the sake of tournament rules. She will not hesitate to cut him down should he cross the line. The other dragon slayer remains unmoved, as if to say he does not feel threatened in the least. Gray wants to wipe that impassive expression from his face, but recalls that this person is the only Saber Tooth that has yet to actively goad Fairy Tail. Perhaps he can be of some help.

"Where is Juvia?" Gray approaches Rogue.

"I don't know."

"Then get the fuck out!" Gajeel is beyond pissed. He grabs the door and moves to slam it in Saber Tooth's goddamned face.

"Wait," Makarov lifts a hand to keep the door open. "What do you know?"

A pause. Rogue seems to be contemplating what to say. "Your water mage will betray you," is his blunt answer.

The room immediately bursts with incensed denials.

"Liar!"

"Juvia would never do that!"

"Get lost, Saber Tooth, we know you're just here to stir up trouble!"

"How dare you insult Juvia-chan like that?!"

Gajeel moves to slam the door in Rogue's face again, but the guild master holds it firmly open.

"Quiet, brats!" Makarov shouts when the outbursts do not subside. "Why do you say such a thing?" He asks once the room has quieted somewhat.

"Bloom of Corruption." Rogue answers as if those three words explain everything.

And they do. To 'Mystogan' at least. "_Shit_!" He exclaims, a cold sweat breaks across his exposed forehead and his fists clench so hard his knuckles turn white. At the puzzled stares of his guild mates, he explains. "Bloom of Corruption is a curse that anchors itself in any negative feelings a person may have; jealousy, anger, insecurity, fear, and so on. Then, like its name suggests, it makes those seeds of darkness bloom and grow strong enough to corrupt a person's heart. There is no counter-curse, but if the cursed person's will power is strong enough they can overcome it with time." He hesitates. "But even if they do, they tend to be scarred for life." His voice tapers off near the end, and he averts his eyes to the ground.

Erza's eyes soften, and she places a comforting hand on his shoulder. He takes in a shuddering breath, "A full powered curse takes a large amount of dark magic. If the Magic Council hasn't detected it being cast, then Juvia is probably being affected by a lesser version of the one I..." He lets that sentence drop. "Nevertheless, it is an extremely dangerous spell."

Wendy's brows furrow in thought. "But, Juvia-san loves Fairy Tail. She wouldn't have any negative feelings toward us in the first place, so how would Bloom of Corruption make her betray us?"

"Before casting the curse, my teammate convinced your water mage that you would abandon her in favor of the celestial spirit mage. She will come kill her and anyone who gets in her way—"

_SLAP!_

"How dare you." Cana whispers menacingly, arm still raised from her assault. "Stop talking like you know Juvia—like you know what she would do with absolute certainty! You're wrong. You don't know her at all!"

Rogue merely watches Cana as if she is nothing more than a goldfish in a bowl. He does not even flinch from being slapped. It enrages her all the more.

"Juvia loves Fairy Tail with all her heart! When we were forced to fight each other," she sends an apologetic glance towards Freed for bringing up the ugly past. He merely nods in acquiescence. "When we were forced to fight each other, Juvia attacked a life-linked thunder lacrima instead of me and severely injured herself. That's how much she values her nakama—she would rather hurt herself than someone she cares about!"

Gray didn't know that, but then again he was KO'd by Bixlow at the time. Somehow he isn't surprised though. Juvia has been extremely emotional ever since he first met her, so he figures that once she loves someone she must love them with every fiber of her being. The thought makes his stomach do a strange flip-flop when he considers her affection towards himself.

Rogue looks mildly perplexed, as if Juvia's degree of devotion is a completely foreign concept. Cana grins victoriously when she sees his reaction.

"Do you get it now? Even if she's being manipulated, Juvia loves Fairy Tail so much! She would sooner kill herself than—" Cana's grin vanishes and all color instantly drains from her face. Though she does not finish her sentence, the entire room can hear it loud and clear.

_Juvia would sooner kill herself than betray Fairy Tail._

For a moment, there is a deafening silence that does nothing but echo horrible implications.

_Juvia is being manipulated to betray Fairy Tail. Juvia would sooner kill herself than betray Fairy Tail._

_Juvia is being manipulated to betray Fairy Tail. Juvia would sooner kill herself than betray Fairy Tail._

_Juvia is being manipulated to betray Fairy Tail. Juvia would sooner kill herself than betray Fairy Tail._

And Gray is running, scrambling, splashing through the streets of Crocus, screaming Juvia's name. He can't remember how he got there, but it doesn't matter. Panic grips him and his body is nearly numb with fear, trembling with every step he takes. But he can't stop; he _needs_ to find Juvia even if the anxiety is nauseating, threatening to drown him. The frenzied beating of his heart mixes with the thunderous hammering of rain and he can't tell which is louder.

_Juvia is being manipulated. Juvia would sooner kill herself than betray Fairy Tail._

The frigid rain slices through the air like trillions of needles, pouring so hard it hurts; though Gray isn't sure how much of the pain is physical and how much pain comes from Juvia's emotions. God, how long has she been fighting the curse? How long has he been sitting in the infirmary waiting on Lucy with the rest of the guild while Juvia suffers completely and utterly _alone_? Is her heart breaking as much as the sky seems to be? He strips off his drenched jacket and shirt—they're just getting in the way, restrictively clinging to his skin.

_Juvia would sooner kill herself than betray Fairy Tail._

It is so dark; he can barely see two feet in front of him and relies on the flashes of lightning for illumination. In one such flash, he thinks he sees something amphibious leap through the streets with a muted shout of "Juvia!" Lisanna's beast transformation. It's good to know that he isn't the only one combing through the ridiculously large capital of Fiore. The rain is dripping down his bangs and into his eyes, and he swipes furiously at his face trying to clear his vision. It's no use, the rain pours down too quickly.

_Juvia would kill herself._

The streets are flooded ankle-deep and Gray kicks off his squishing soaked shoes, struggling against the unforgiving rain. And yet a part of him is glad it is raining. The rain means Juvia is alive—that although she is in unbearable pain, besieged in a battle against her own heart, she is still _alive_. For now.

_Wait for me, Juvia. I promise I'm coming. So please, don't do anything stupid! Please!_

* * *

Authoress's Note:

Do you have preferences as to where I place my notes? Before the chapter, end of chapter, doesn't matter?

I always thought it was odd how Jellal went from being full of justice to epitome of evil so quickly and so easily. The manga states he was being manipulated by Ultear, but it never really explains how. So I made one up! I hope it makes sense.

Special thanks to Alexa Hiwatari, MissForgetfulMe, xxArrowWolfxx, Dark Gothic Lolita, Natsu-Lover45, RandomDalmatian326, JellalxErza, Layla, Essence97, Phylaphy, Miasmatic, Mozzey, Bunny-chan, Midosaki, and unnamed guests. Your reviews are truly motivational and often help me improve as a writer.

Thank you for taking the time to read and leave me your feedback. :)


	4. Blue Sky

**Chapter 4 – Blue Sky**

Drip.

Drip.

Drop.

The pouring rain is all Juvia can hear, see, and feel.

"Drip. Drip. Drop." She whispers, just to hear the sound of her own voice—to make sure she still exists in this dark, wet, empty void.

She raises her head and lets the water from the sky freely wash over her face. Is this real, or is she trapped in a nightmare? It feels like a lifetime ago that she was competing in the Grand Magic Tournament. And now she is sitting at the outskirts of Crocus, hiding from the world under the cover of murky, ominous rain. Or at least she thinks that's where she is, if this is real. She isn't sure what's real and what's not anymore.

Just hours ago she loved Fairy Tail with all her heart. But now, she suddenly feels such _hatred_ toward her guild. This can't be happening. This can't be real.

_This is real. I hate Fairy Tail._

Juvia shakes her head forcefully. No. No she doesn't. Fairy Tail is the first family she has ever had. They are the only ones to ever accept her for who she is.

_They only keep me to make fun of me. Comic relief. That's all I am to them._

Surely she must mean more than that. Cana even called her nakama before.

_If they care, then where are they now? Why have they left me all alone?_

She swallows and suppresses a shudder from the sheer _emptiness _she feels. They are preoccupied with Lucy, that's all. They don't know she is out here by herself.

_Life would be so much easier without Lucy. I wish she would just die already._

A choked gasp lodges itself in Juvia's throat. She is repulsed with herself. How could she think something so horrible?

_She's such a damsel in distress. Useless. Weak. Always getting into trouble. And yet she has the guild wrapped around her pinky. Even Gray is willing to die for her._

That's because she's a good person who's worth protecting.

_Good person? She runs around in skimpy clothes all the time, even in battles where they __**always**__ get torn to shreds. She's just a manipulative slut flaunting her sex appeal while pretending to be ever so innocent._

Yes—no! Shut up, shut up… Juvia clenches her eyes shut and tries to tear the dark voice out of her head. This isn't Juvia, this isn't who she is.

_I hate Lucy. I hate those idiot Fairies that do everything for her, but take me for granted. I'll make them pay. I'll show them why I was once called the Rain Demon._

It hurts. It hurts so much. Why won't it go away? That voice sounds so much like her own—like every negative feeling she ever shoved away has come back to the surface, a thousand fold stronger. She tries to get rid of it, but it won't leave. She tries to run from it, but it chases after her. Like a parasite, it leeches the life out of her and steadily grows into a malicious flower intent on devouring her heart.

Frightfully, Juvia realizes her resolve is weakening. How much longer can she stop herself from succumbing to this nightmare? She summons up memories of Gray. He has always been her beacon of hope, her light in the darkness, her savior who stopped the rain. But, rather than happy memories all she can recall is his expression of disgust and the retreating form of his back as he walks past her without saying a word.

_Gray should die with the rest of Fairy Tail._

And Juvia feels like someone has just torn her heart out and stomped it into the muddy gravel. She hates herself for feeling such heinous things, for being so _ugly._ It is her fault that Lucy was injured. If she had been stronger—if she hadn't been distracted by her infatuation for Gray—she would have been the one to face Minerva. She is the one who failed Fairy Tail, and yet she has the audacity to condemn them? She should just march herself over to her guild and let them destroy her. But no, even if they hurt her, Fairy Tail does not take lives…

An anguished wail escapes her throat. "Juvia does not deserve Fairy Tail's kindness… Juvia does not deserve Gray-sama," she cries to the dark, pouring heavens.

If possible, the rain falls harder in agreement. The storm clouds block all light—miserable rain is her only companion in this empty abyss. As always.

Drip.

Drip.

Drop.

Pale fingers clasp around her own throat.

Drip.

Drip.

Drop.

If she finds herself surrendering to darkness…

Drip.

Drip.

Hoot!

… _what_?

Juvia turns away from the weeping sky in time to see a handsome, crystalline owl land right next to her. She and the owl stare at each other for a few moments before the avian fluffs its translucent feathers in victory and moves to take flight again.

"Wait," Juvia calls, stretching her arm towards it. _Don't leave me alone._ Her fingers manage to brush the tips of a frigid wing before it disappears into the darkness once again. She blinks in confusion. That owl was as cold as ice. Gray-sama? No, he can't create living things. Ultear? She's too far from Crocus. Then that means…

Mere seconds later, the answer presents itself in the form of a sopping wet man splashing ungracefully into the clearing. His usually spiky silver hair hangs limp and disheveled, drenched clothing clings uncomfortably to his skin, and he pants as if he has been running in the rain for quite some time. Yet his smile is genuine when he spots Juvia.

"Juvia-chan! I finally found you," Lyon sighs in relief.

"Hoot!" Several ice owls circle the sky above him and vanish at his command. He had cast Ice Make: Owl and used his summons' superior night vision to help him locate his favorite water mage. He approaches Juvia carefully; she is huddled on the ground, drenched to the bone, looking paler than ever. The way she watches him reminds him of a frightened, beaten kitten.

"Lyon-san… was looking for Juvia?" she asks in a quivering voice full of disbelief.

"Of course I was." He kneels in front of her and moves to hug her, but she scrambles back away from him. He does not follow, giving her space so as not to frighten her further.

"Why?" her voice cracks a little. He frowns at the hurt in her tone, but answers gently.

"I was worried about you." He points toward the sky. "I'm a talented ice mage. So naturally, I have an affinity for water too. I can feel the pain in this rain. It's yours, isn't it?"

The blue haired woman stares guiltily at the ground.

"Juvia… what's wrong?"

For the first time, she meets his eyes and he is stricken by the hollow agony reflected in those deep blue depths. Her lips part as if to reply, but she hesitates and no sound comes out.

"Tell me, please. I want to help you." He presses softly.

Crushing pain pools to the surface of her eyes, though no tears come out. "Juvia is… _ugly_."

That's it? The absurdity befuddles Lyon. Has she ever looked in a mirror? This woman is obviously anything but that. Why would she get so upset over such a thing, unless… Indignation burns in his stomach.

"Who called you that? Was it Gray?! I'll freeze that bastard's –"

"Not Juvia's face," she interrupts before he can go into his detailed plans for Gray's demise. "Juvia's _heart_ is ugly."

Well. That's a different matter entirely. Lyon sighs. A different and much more complicated matter. "Why do you think that?"

Juvia curls up into a tight ball, unwilling to trust Lyon with her heart. She has only met with him three times before. The first was Lyon's visit to Fairy Tail, wherein he declared his love at first sight. The second was when she tried to invite Gray to lunch and he ended up tagging along. And the final time was a very confusing dinner that Lyon had dragged herself and Gray to, in which the two ice mages spent the night bickering about things she couldn't understand. No, she hardly knows Lyon enough to show him her fractured heart.

"Juvia," he starts to coax when she does not reply.

"Lyon-san can't understand… the darkness Juvia feels." That's all he will get from her.

But Lyon _does_ understand darkness. He has done horrible, shameful things in the past—things he wants to just leave behind him. Toby, Sherry, and Yuka never bring it up, but he knows the acts they almost committed together still haunt them to this day. Lyon was the leader though; he was the one who dragged them into his immoral plot. And in that sense, he is the guiltiest of them all.

He needs to prove to Juvia that he can relate to her before she will trust him. But at the same time, he doesn't want her to know his dirty past. He doesn't want to reveal his shame. Yet, how else can he go about this? If he doesn't reveal his own insecurities, how can he expect her to reveal hers?

It is a gamble. Juvia could very well end up hating him after this, but if sharing his story could potentially help her… What kind of prince charming would he be if he didn't do his utmost to save his princess? No pain no gain, he tells his nervous heart. So he swallows his pride and bares his foul past, weaving a tale of a boy corrupted by his ambitions. He tells Juvia about Ur and his desire to surpass her, of Deliora and Iced Shell, of Galuna Island and Moon Drip and his obsession with reviving a demon. Fighting and injuring Gray, ordering the annihilation of Galuna Island's villagers, Lyon bars nothing from his tale.

By the time he finishes, Juvia has uncurled from her previous position, wide eyes captivated, and leaning close to catch every word over the sound of thundering rain. Their eyes are locked for some time, onyx and deep blue meld together trying to read each other's souls.

Lyon's heart trembles. _Please don't hate me. _Fear and anticipation shoot up his spine when he sees Juvia take a breath and part her lips.

"Lyon-san has overcome so much. Juvia apologizes for making false assumptions," she whispers just loud enough for him to hear in their close proximity.

Relief washes over him and his muscles relax. He doesn't realize how tense he has been until now.

"Not to worry, Juvia-chan! I know it's hard to tell I have a traumatic past, what with my glorious personality." Lightening the mood, he poses with one arm over his chest and the other extended upward in what is meant to be a regal position. Except it is so exaggeratedly flamboyant and out of place that Juvia is unable to keep the humor from bubbling within her. A garbled noise escapes her throat, sounding like the combination of a sob and a laugh. Lyon has thoroughly confounded her heart; she never thought she could feel both amused and tortured at the same time. But she is grateful that he is here—that she is no longer suffering alone. She knows telling her his past was difficult, despite his attempts to act otherwise. He has trusted her with the dark secrets of his heart, so it is only fair that she reciprocate.

"Juvia's heart is telling her to hurt Fairy Tail. She doesn't want to, but the feeling won't go away," she ducks her head and admits quietly. Lyon has to shift even closer to hear her over the rain. Their cheeks are almost touching; their bodies so close that Juvia can feel the heat radiating from Lyon. She gulps and adds embarrassment to her growing list of conflicting emotions.

"I see…" Lyon murmurs, his breath tickling Juvia's ear. He is quiet for a moment, and when he pulls back Juvia is certain he is going to reject her.

Her heart drops when he points to the pitch black sky releasing torrents of water. "What do you see?" he asks.

"Ugly, gloomy rain." Juvia replies, dropping her gaze down to his shirt. Why is he asking her such an obvious question? Does he want to rub her repulsiveness in her face?

Lyon hooks a finger under her chin to make her meet his eyes. "You know what I see? I see beauty." The sincerity in his eyes startles her completely.

"This rain shows how hard you're fighting for Fairy Tail. You're hurting because you're conflicted. Even though part of your heart is telling you to hurt your friends, the other part refuses to give in." He retracts his finger and opens his hand palm up, watching water droplets land and trickle away in rivulets. "To become _this_ upset over merely thinking bad thoughts shows how much you must love Fairy Tail. I'm envious."

"But, Juvia shouldn't even be feeling such things! It's… it's too awful, too ugly!"

"Do you think I'm ugly?"

Juvia shakes her head vehemently in denial, water spraying from her drenched hair. "Not at all, Lyon-san!"

"But I didn't just think about doing horrible things. I actually did them!" the ice mage argues. "I gave in to my ambition, and even though I knew it was wrong, I kept going. But you haven't even done anything wrong. If I was as strong as you are now, I'd have a lot fewer regrets."

Uncertainly replaces self-loathing in Juvia's eyes, and Lyon smiles internally. It's an improvement; he's finally getting somewhere.

"It's okay to have darkness within you," he continues firmly. "Everyone has it to some extent. What's important are the decisions you make. As long as you make the right choices—as long as you don't give in to that darkness—you are a good person. Juvia, if you were as ugly as you think you are, you would have gone and attacked Fairy Tail long ago. But you haven't. You're still here, fighting against that darkness."

He places a comforting hand on each of her shoulders. "That's why I think this rain—that's why I think _you_ are beautiful."

A tentative hope begins to bloom in Juvia's chest. The evil flower in her heart flinches back in fear. "Do you really mean that?"

Lyon's hands drift from her shoulders to gently cup her face and Juvia is lost in the earnestness of his black eyes. "I do."

He is nearly bowled backwards when Juvia launches herself straight into his chest. Recovering quickly, he wraps his arms around her shivering frame. He is struck by how cold and frail she feels against his body. She had seemed so strong, virtually invincible, when she faced down Minerva and boiled the entire freaking water sphere at the stadium. To now be so vulnerable… He tucks her head under his chin. _I will protect you._

Juvia's shoulders shudder as her body is wracked with sobs. She finally lets the tears spill from her eyes, releasing all the pain that has haunted her not only today, but also from her many years of loneliness. Nobody has ever shared their heart with her. Nobody has ever fully accepted her rain. Nobody has ever called her beautiful. Nobody has ever held her while she cried. _Nobody._

Except Lyon.

"Just let it all out," he whispers soothingly in her ear while she weeps. "I'm not going anywhere." She clings desperately to the warmth of his chest, reveling in the security of his arms—in his unwarranted, but resuscitating kindness. Does he have any idea how close she was to the edge when he arrived? Does he know how close she was to destroying herself?

Perhaps she should feel unfaithful to Gray for being so close to another man; his childhood rival, to boot. But it is time to face the truth. She and Gray are not together—if recent events are any indication, they will probably never be. It hurts, but she will let him go. She wants him to be happy, because she truly cares for him. She will be strong; she will do the right thing no matter how much her heart tells her to do otherwise.

_Juvia loves Fairy Tail. Juvia loves Lucy and Gray. You will never win against me. Never._

The corrupt blossom in her heart struggles futilely and then withers away into oblivion.

At the same time the storm clouds disappear, taking the rain with them and letting the summer sun beam radiantly upon the city once again. It happens so quickly that were it not for the many remaining puddles, one would have thought the rainstorm never happened.

On the other side of Crocus, a shirtless mage with black hair stands frozen in the streets. His face is turned upward, staring at the clear blue sky as if it is the single most horrifying thing he has ever seen.

* * *

**A/N:**

Just to clarify, "Ice Make: Owl" was another spell made up for my convenience. But I figure since we haven't seen Lyon fight in 7 years, it makes sense that he would pick up a few new tricks, right? O.o

Speaking of Lyon, he was certainly a challenge to write. He can be dark, serious, weird, funny, cruel, kind, arrogant… it was hard for me to figure out how to balance out his personality. I hope I've managed to capture his character alright!

Also… Thank you thank you thank you, **all of you**, for your fantastic support! I've read every word of your reviews; they've made me so happy I could cry. THANK YOU! :'D

I know it might seem odd to get so happy about something that takes you less than a minute to type, but when life beats me down and I'm struggling to find something positive to get me through the day, your encouragement means the world to me.

Thank you so much for reading, and thank you for your continued support!


	5. Confession

**Chapter 5 – Confession**

The citizens of Crocus bustle in the streets, store owners reopening shop after the unexpected rainstorm sent everyone scuttling home for cover. Thankfully, that patch of foul weather passed relatively quickly; the only evidence of its existence are the rapidly evaporating puddles. Children skip happily, glad to be outside under the shining sun once again. Everyone is in a fairly jubilant mood, except for one gloomy looking man who stands still as a statue, smack dab in the middle of the road. The crowds part around him to get by, shooting odd looks at the damp, half-naked male as they pass.

Gray doesn't care—doesn't even notice. Haunted eyes gaze unseeingly at the hideous, cloudless blue sky, and he feels cold. _So cold._ Despite the summer sun beating down on him, he feels a chill that freezes every bone, every hair of his body, and stretches to the very depths of his soul. He has never felt this cold before; not even before he became an ice mage.

_Juvia…_

One moment he felt her—felt her pain and suffering raining down upon him. Then, as the pain reached an apex, hurting so much that he wanted to cry with it, it vanished. Just like that. Gone. Kapoof. No more. He couldn't feel her anymore.

Maybe somebody else found her, his mind tries to think logically. But even so, the rain shouldn't have vanished so quickly. Not even Juvia can go from the verge of suicide—he felt her desperation—to being perfectly okay in less than a second. Which leads him to an unthinkable conclusion to what _could_ stop the rain so completely.

The muscles in his neck constrict into a silent scream that lodges itself in the back of his throat, choking him in grief.

And he wants it to rain again; he doesn't mind the pain that comes with it. He just wants to feel Juvia again, because she _can't_ be gone. She has to be out there somewhere, and he will find her. He will bring her back safely to Fairy Tail so she can smile and embarrass him and perform ridiculous leaps of logic and make him want to pull his hair out and be ever so endearing and charming and wonderful and... and…

Just rain already.

The brilliant sun beams tauntingly at him.

"You alright there, young man?" a wrinkled shopkeeper asks. Depressed human statues right in front of your stall tends to mean bad business.

No response.

She pokes his bare foot with the tip of her walking cane.

Still no response.

She huffs, muttering something under her breath about young whippersnappers disrespecting their elders. "I don't know what's eating you, young man, but standing there looking like someone just died really isn't going to—" she stops when he turns toward her.

He has a wild look in his eyes. Injured, cold, angry, desolate, bordering insanity.

"She's not dead," he rasps.

The old woman doesn't know how to respond, for she has _never_ in her many years of life seen anyone with such a look before—like his soul is shredding apart before her very eyes.

The sound of a gunshot tears away his wretched gaze, and Gray's eyes widen as words form in the sky.

Levy's solid script, catapulted into the air with the help of Bisca's gun magic, spells in neat bold letters: "FAIRY TAIL RETURN TO INFIRMARY. SHE'S OKAY."

And Gray is suddenly uprooted from his spot. The ice in his veins melts, replaced by adrenaline. He courses through the streets, his previously deadened heart beating once again, ignoring the indignant shouts of civilians when he bumps into them in his haste. He needs to get back to the infirmary. He needs to see Juvia with his own eyes.

_I knew she wasn't dead, I knew Juvia wouldn't leave me!_

He flies through the city, looking little more than a dark blur. His heart sings at the thought of Juvia. She's okay. Thank GOD she's okay. He doesn't know why he is so desperate to see her, but every second apart feels like a second too long, and he pushes his legs to go faster. His lungs burn in protest, but he is so close now—

Gray bursts through the doors of the infirmary.

"Where is she?" he pants when he does not see her immediately.

Levy smiles brightly at him. "She's in the first room on the right. The operation was a complete success! She's going to make a full recovery!"

_Wait, what?_

The bookworm rambles on a little about only visiting one person at a time, and that Natsu is hogging the room to himself. Pausing, she tilts her head at the dumbfounded look on his face, and peeks around as if expecting somebody behind him. "Where's Juvia?"

It would have been more merciful for Levy to just twist a knife into his heart.

Bisca and Alzack share a sad look. "Lucy isn't the 'she' he was looking for," Alzack says regrettably.

At this, Levy's mouth drops open as the pieces fall into place. "Oh my- I'm so sorry Gray, I-" she can't seem to stop stuttering when guilt overwhelms her. "We thought the rain stopped because you found Juvia, and-" her mind draws the same morbid conclusion as Gray's. "Oh no, Juvia… oh no. _Oh no_."

Several other guild members break out into worried mutterings, but Gray really isn't listening anymore. A small voice in his head tells him he should at least be grateful for Lucy's recovery. He cannot hear it over the sound of his shattering heart.

"Calm down, all of you!" Erza booms. The room goes quiet. "Don't jump to conclusions so quickly. Gray isn't the only one capable of comforting Juvia. Who else hasn't come back yet?"

She surveys the room with critical eyes. Though her scarlet hair is still wet, her clothes are dry thanks to her re-quipping abilities. The rest of the guild is not so fortunate, and those who braved the rain are currently being showered with towels as the hospital staff tries to keep them from dripping water everywhere.

"Gajeel!" Levy cries as if it is the most wondrous name she has ever uttered. "Gajeel isn't back yet. He and Juvia are so close, I'm sure he found her."

Gray clings to her words as if they are a lifeline. A stubborn hope works vigorously to keep his damaged heart from breaking completely. Yes, Gajeel is practically Juvia's surrogate brother. Though they are nearly complete opposites in appearance and mannerisms, there is no denying the bond between them. And with Gajeel's crass nature, he would probably just knock the water mage out and drag her back to Fairy Tail, which would explain the sudden loss of rain. It all makes sense now.

The minutes tick by as the guild waits in anticipation. They look at the infirmary doors expectantly when they hear Gajeel's trademark stomping approach. Suddenly the double doors fling open and bounce back off the walls, shaking like two blocks of jelly. It is another testament to the architecture of Crocus that the entryway has not collapsed on itself.

"Damn you, Juvia!" The iron dragon slayer screeches. His dripping, tangled long hair makes him look like a drowned rat out of hell. "If you ever _fucking_ worry me like that again, I swear I'll…" He trails off when he does not see his friend. The cogs in his brain turn at the downcast expressions of his guild mates.

"By 'she,' you didn't mean Juvia." His sentence is a statement, not a question, and Levy bursts into tears.

"O-Oi, shorty, stop that!" Gajeel panics and pats the small girl on her head. He does _not_ know how to deal with crying women.

Levy's sobs are broken by a strangled sound that is almost too quiet to hear, but carries so much _anguish_ that the whole guild is silenced by it.

Their eyes turn to Gray, who looks more like a corpse than a living being. He stands so still, skin pale, eyes dead; he doesn't even look to be breathing.

"Gray…" Makarov begins, but not even the elderly guild master knows how to console him.

The last thing Gray said to Juvia was nothing_._ The last thing he did to Juvia was ignore her. The last expression he saw on Juvia's face was dejection. His mind replays every time he brushed her off, every time he took her for granted, every time he saw her cover her hurt with a smile. He remembers the time Erza told him to make things clear to Juvia, but he simply put it off, not wanting to deal with it yet. After all, Juvia would always be there waiting for him. Right?

_You fool. You ungrateful, ignorant, stupid fool._

Unbidden, his mind imagines Juvia alone in the rain, agonizingly trying to fight off her curse. She is losing the battle, nobody comes to save her, and in her desperation, she—

Violent, unforgiving pain explodes in his chest and mercilessly clenches his aching heart. _I wasn't there for her, and now she's gone—I wasn't there, I wasn't there. _He is the one who deserved to die, not her. There were so many things he should have done, so many things he should have said… but it's all too late now. His world crumbles to the ground. She's dead and takes a piece of him with her.

The abused infirmary door creaks open, though no one takes notice of it in their concern for Gray's sanity. Light footsteps pad in before the door groans closed.

Several beats of silence pass.

A smooth voice—a voice nobody thought they would ever hear again—breaks the stillness. "Umm… Juvia saw the writing in the sky and came as fast as she could, but everyone looks so sad. Is Lucy alright?"

Disbelieving eyes turn to the missing water mage. Her eyes are rimmed red as if she has been crying recently, her wavy blue hair is a mess, and she stands awkwardly by the door in her bikini and a mismatched cloak.

She is the most beautiful sight Gray has ever seen.

"JUVIA!" The guild cries in relief, surging forward to engulf their lost nakama. Gray does not join them, unsure if she is real or an illusion conjured by his desperate mind. He does not dare to hope again, for he is hanging on to sanity by half a thread and will surely go mad if hope fails him another time.

His guild mates stagger to a halt when Juvia clenches her eyes shut and braces herself defensively, as if expecting their outstretched arms to attack rather than embrace her.

"Juvia-chan?" Lisanna says delicately. Why on earth would her friend think Fairy Tail would harm her?

The rain woman peeks an eye open when the expected blows don't come. They are truly too kind. She falls to her knees and bows low to the ground, pressing her forehead against the tile floor.

"Juvia has failed Fairy Tail. Because of her weakness, Lucy was injured. Juvia does not expect to be forgiven, and will gladly accept any punishment. She only asks to be allowed to remain a Fairy Tail mage." Her voice comes out stronger than she feels. When they saw the message in the sky, Lyon offered to escort her back to Fairy Tail. She hid her fright and insisted she would be fine, thanking him for his help before dashing away. This is a confrontation she must face alone, for she does not want Lyon to see her guild's anger, no matter how justified it is. She cannot bear the thought of anyone thinking badly of Fairy Tail because of her.

Master Makarov shares a look with 'Mystogan,' who approaches her and casts a spell over her prone body. But, rather than the pain she expects, the spell merely tickles slightly.

"Bloom of Corruption has been defeated." The man says in awe. In a more subdued tone, he continues. "Though there appears to be some… residual scarring."

The guild master nods in acknowledgement, then stoops in front of Juvia. Because of his short stature, the action brings him to what would be eye level if the prostrating mage were to look up. He gently ruffles her blue hair.

"Juvia-chan," he begins in a grandfatherly tone, as though speaking to a small child. "You might not know this, but you have been under a powerful dark curse."

The water mage lifts her head in confusion.

"The curse was intended to make you betray Fairy Tail, but it seems you've managed to overcome the worst of it." His eyes crinkle as he smiles widely. "You've done wonderfully, Juvia. I'm so proud of you. However…"

Juvia prepares herself for the insult.

It doesn't come. "You seem to believe that we're angry at you; that Fairy Tail would prefer Lucy's safety over your own. This simply isn't true. We are family, and all of you are my children. Our guild should cherish all nakama equally, not pick favorites. For our failure to make you feel valued, please forgive us." Makarov lowers his balding head and Juvia gasps, grabbing the old man's shoulders to keep him from fully bowing.

"Don't… there's no need to apologize." Tears form in the corners of her eyes. "Juvia is happy… so happy to be part of Fairy Tail. She has never had a family in all her life, and…" She sits upright and hugs the elder tightly. "Thank you for accepting her. Thank you. Juvia loves Fairy Tail so much." Her voice is full of nothing but gratitude and sincerity.

Makarov chuckles while the rest of the guild smiles warmly at the scene. "We love you too." Patting her kindly on the back, he glances up at the numb ice mage standing behind the crowd. "Isn't that right Gray?" he asks knowingly.

Juvia turns and meets Gray's stare. Suddenly all he can see are her captivating blue eyes, as mysterious as the limitless ocean, yet swimming opulently with affection. His soul luxuriates in the depth of her gaze. This is real. This can only be Juvia. And he can breathe again, feel again, _live_ again. The relief flooding him is so overwhelming his vision becomes hazy with unshed tears.

"Well?" Makarov presses, hiding a shrewd grin.

"What?" Gray doesn't remember the question. Like a man dying of thirst, he has been too busy drinking in Juvia's presence to be paying attention.

"Don't you love Juvia?"

Any other day Gray might have spluttered out a denial or come up with a nonchalant response. But after everything that has happened today his heart is raw, exposed, and brimming with emotion.

His eyes never leaving Juvia's, he answers the unfiltered truth.

"Of _course_ I do."

* * *

**A/N:**

Oh my goodness! To be honest, I half expected to be pelted with rotten tomatoes after I uploaded the last chapter. Or send all the Gruvia fans running away screaming. Or both. But all of you were so wonderfully kind and open-minded. Thank you so very much for your encouraging reviews! I love you all. :D

I switched this story's secondary genre to Drama since that seems much more fitting now that my mind has derailed itself from my previous ideas. Speaking of drama, I hope I didn't abuse Gray too much in this chapter…

Just a heads up, my next update might be a bit late. My fiancé will be returning from the military for a little while, and I intend to superglue myself to his side before he leaves me for another year. Okay maybe superglue is a bit much, but you get what I mean!

To the guest reviewer named Oino... are you by any chance the person who makes those beautiful Gray x Juvia x Lyon fanarts that I've been seeing on the internet? :O

Thank you for taking the time to leave me your feedback, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	6. Holding Hands

**Chapter 6 – Holding Hands**

"Of course I do."

Gray's smoldering eyes bore into Juvia's, and for that precious moment in time they are the only two that exist in his world.

"Aww…!" The sound of overly sweet crooning brings him back to reality and he suddenly realizes exactly what he just admitted to. In front of the entire Fairy Tail. His face flushes in embarrassment and he randomly flails his arms as if to fend off invisible accusations.

"As nakama! I care about all my nakama," Gray rushes to correct reflexively.

_Idiot!_ A voice in his head yells in frustration. Mere minutes ago he had been filled with regret about his situation with Juvia, but as soon as he took a step in the right direction he just _had_ to backpedal. His eyes snap back to Juvia, worried that he may have inadvertently hurt her yet again.

But she is no longer looking at him. Instead, there is an expression of wonder on her face as she watches Fairy Tail as a whole, her glistening eyes focusing on everyone and no one.

Gray has seen this expression only once before, on the day they first met as enemies. During their battle her countenance had changed many times—impassive, enamored, crazed, hostile, confused, sad, enraged—he had chalked her up as some weird, bipolar chick. But when he defeated her, something unexpected happened. It was as if a bitter shadow had been lifted from her, evaporating along with the rain. Like an innocent child experiencing something for the very first time, her eyes filled with such wonderment while she gazed upon the sky as if it were the most miraculous thing she had ever seen. Her expression was breathtaking; the memory is forever engraved in Gray's mind.

For Juvia to make such a face once again… could this be her first time hearing anyone say they care about her? Gray swallows the lump in his throat and navigates the crowd to reach her.

_Just what kind of life did you have before Fairy Tail, Juvia? _He reaches an arm towards her, perhaps to pat her head, perhaps to clasp her shoulder. He isn't quite sure what he plans to do, just that he wants to show her that he is here for her—that in his own, unattached way, he really does care.

Erza beats him to it.

"JUVIA!" Just as Gray is about to touch her shoulder, Erza swoops in and snatches the water mage into a fierce hug. Juvia's forehead meets Erza's breastplate with a solid _clang_.

Fairy Tail collectively winces. Ouch.

"I, too, care dearly about you!" She all but yells into Juvia's ear as she clutches her hapless friend tightly against her chest. "I apologize for not making it clear before. I swear I will make it up to you!"

Having been trapped between Erza's metal gauntlets and breastplate on a few occasions, Gray understands how _uncomfortable_ it can be. An overzealous Erza is one of the most dangerous creatures known to man, animal, and strawberry cake.

The captive woman manages to shift within Erza's death grip so that her cheek rather than her forehead is pressed against the hard armor. Gray relaxes. Despite the bruise forming on her head, Juvia wears a smile almost too big for her face.

"Please don't worry, Erza-san. Juvia is happy just knowing—"

"Just call me Erza! That is how close friends should address each other!" She looms over Juvia almost menacingly.

"Y-yes, Erza."

"Very good! As close friends we should participate in bonding time! Perhaps a trip to the hot springs followed by…" Erza rambles her plans as she swings Juvia back and forth violent—erm—affectionately. Gray exchanges worried looks with his fellow guild mates, but none dare to intervene between Erza and her prey—erm—nakama.

_Fine, I'll do it. Wimps._

"Oi, Erza—"

"Ah, you want to join us? Very well! Let us partake in the traditional ritual of bonding in the bath!"

Before Gray can register what on Earthland just happened, his head is locked under Erza's left arm as she drags both himself and Juvia away, presumably to the nearest hot springs. The ice mage panics. While he is certainly a healthy young male with an appreciation for female anatomy, it is one thing to peek on bathing women and a whole other thing to waltz straight into the female bath house. Apart from becoming the target of a multitude of flying objects, he would also be labeled a pervert for life if the media got wind of it. An explanation of "Erza made me do it" probably wouldn't fly. He'll never live this down if he doesn't get away now!

Juvia, who is trapped under Erza's right arm, meets his flustered gaze. They are in the streets of Crocus again. With a dawning sense of horror, Gray realizes they are rapidly approaching their destination.

"Do something! You don't really want me in the girl's bath, do you?" He pleads.

Juvia blushes to the roots of her blue hair.

_Oh shit, what if she does?_

Gray frantically looks for a Plan B, scanning the streets for any chance of salvation when he sees a faint shimmer in his peripheral vision. He turns in time to see Juvia materialize out of her water body, wave mischievously at him, then skip down the street before Erza can apprehend her.

_She ditched me!_

Their captor whirls in bewilderment when she feels the empty space under her arm that was once occupied by the water mage.

"Look, there's a sale on strawberry cake!" Gray yells.

Erza's attention snaps to search for the sale and her hostage takes the opportunity to twist out of her grasp. Torn between giving chase and eating her favorite food, she hesitates for a few seconds. Well, since they already got a head start she may as well buy some cake and search for them later. Now where is the bakery? Several more seconds pass when she realizes there is none nearby. She's been tricked.

"GRAY!" her vengeful scream is loud enough to echo through half of Crocus.

Though his legs are still sore from his previous marathon, the sound is enough to spur Gray to run faster. Damn, he was hoping his stunt would buy a little more time! He spots his fellow escapee in front of him—her bikini-clad body stands out in the midst of all the fully clothed citizens. With a quick burst of speed, he catches up to her.

"You left me behind!" he accuses between gasps for air.

"Juvia knew you could take care of yourself." She responds with a playful smile, also panting as the pair try to put as much distance between themselves and one rampaging Erza.

"This way!" Gray grabs Juvia's elbow and leads them down a side street in an attempt to throw off their pursuer.

At some point they start laughing. Like children playing tag, they race through the winding alleys like every flash of red they see is Erza about to catch them. Heedless that the sound of their hysterics would be a dead giveaway of their position if Erza really was near, they keep running until their stomachs cramp from the combination of physical exertion and laughter. Finally they find a park and collapse in a heap on the grass, chests heaving and large grins plastered on their faces.

"I think we lost her." Lying on his back, Gray peers at Juvia through blades of grass.

"Juvia thinks we lost her long ago." She replies, rolling on her side to face him.

"Better safe than sorry," he chuckles.

For a while they simply smile at each other in silence while they catch their breaths. A thought occurs to Gray.

"You know, you could have just let me escape and stayed with Erza. I wasn't trying to ruin your girl time or anything."

"It's alright. Juvia doesn't like public baths anyway."

"Why not?" Gray's eyebrows rise in surprise. He thought all girls like bathing together. As Erza put it, isn't it some kind of _traditional bonding ritual_ for females?

The woman in question looks away, her cheeks tinting a deep hue of pink. "Juvia doesn't like to be seen naked…"

And Gray is suddenly acutely aware of how little clothing they are wearing—he has stripped down to his pants, and she is still wearing her bikini from the earlier competition. His face heats up when his mind unconsciously tries to imagine Juvia minus the small strips of cloth covering her body. It doesn't help that he is close enough to count her eyelashes and follow the drop of perspiration that trickles down her neck, reaching the top of her cleavage before being obscured by her cloak.

He focuses on the navy blue cloak in an attempt to drag his mind out of the gutter. It's oddly familiar, though he is certain he's never seen Juvia wear it before. In fact its jagged edges, high collar, and yellow embroidery clash terribly with her swimwear. It even looks several sizes too big on her—

_Oh hell no…_

"Where did you get your cloak from?" He asks cautiously, hoping his suspicions are wrong.

His gut twists into a sick knot when a gentle smile graces Juvia's features and she caresses the edge of the cloth tenderly, as if recalling a fond memory. "Lyon-sama lent it to Juvia."

_Lyon-SAMA?!_

"Yes," Juvia blushes and Gray realizes he said his thought out loud. "Lyon-sama stopped the rain."

So Lyon was the one who rescued Juvia and gave her the strength to break the curse. Lyon Bastia of Lamia Scale. _Not_ Gray Fullbuster of Fairy Tail. He feels like such a shitty nakama. He also feels the need to get Juvia out of Lyon's clothes as soon as possible.

Rising to his feet, Gray extends a hand to help her up. "Come on, Erza's probably calmed down by now. I'll walk you back to the hotel so you can change out of your swim suit." _And Lyon's damn cloak._

"Ah," Juvia allows him to pull her up and lets go of his hand to adjust the cloak around her body in an attempt to cover herself somewhat. "Juvia apologizes for being indecent."

"Trust me, I'm the last person who cares about indecency. Stripper, remember?" Gray smirks, eliciting a giggle from his companion.

As they walk from the small park to the main road, his fingers twitch. It felt good to hold Juvia's hand when he helped her up earlier; his hand feels oddly empty now. Perhaps he should…? No, that would be too embarrassing.

_Lyon wouldn't be embarrassed. I bet he was absolutely charming when he found Juvia. Bastard._

That does it; he'll hold Juvia's hand. No big deal. His fingers stretch toward the oblivious water mage's, then tremble and retract quickly. Okay, he hadn't been ready yet. He tries again, but his palms start feeling horribly sweaty. He swallows and his face feels hot. Why is this so hard? It should be a simple gesture.

As if mocking him, two kids bounce past holding hands and humming easily.

Fine! Wiping clammy hands on his boxers—_Hey, what happened to my pants?—_Gray grabs Juvia's hand rougher than he intended. She startles, eyes snapping from their joined hands to his face, then back to their hands.

Not looking at her in an attempt to hide his burning complexion, he explains gruffly, "So you don't get lost in the crowd."

Ah, so that's it. Juvia smiles. Gray is obviously uncomfortable; his hand sweats and he looks everywhere except at her. Yet he still holds her hand to keep her safe. He truly is a kind person.

"Thank you, Gray-sam—"

A pause.

Gray made it clear to her earlier; he loves her, but only as nakama like the rest of Fairy Tail. She had promised to do the right thing when she broke the curse. Gray deserves to be happy, even if it isn't with her. For that to happen, she needs to stop chasing away every female that shows interest in him. She needs to —her heart aches, but not as badly as expected—she needs to let go. The first step to letting go of Gray would be to treat him like nakama rather than a love interest. Erza said close friends should address each other without honorific, so…

"Thank you, Gray."

Gray's stomach drops and he nearly forgets to breathe. He can tolerate—barely— Lyon being promoted to _Lyon-sama_. But for his own -sama to be simultaneously taken away… It's not that he wants to be seen as superior, but he has learned that Juvia uses the honorific not only as a sign of respect, but also as a sign of _affection_. Is she giving up on him in favor of Lyon?

His fingers tighten around Juvia's delicate hand. He's grateful to Lyon for rescuing Juvia. Really. He is. So why is he tempted to punch his face in?

* * *

**A/N:**

I'm back, sorry for the wait! I've got some good news and bad news. My fiancé has left to go do military things again, and I just got a promotion at work! What does this mean in terms of my writing? Good news is that I'm writing again now that I'm back from the military base. Bad news is that my promotion involves a very complicated work schedule that won't allow me to write as much as I used to. So I'll probably switch to updating biweekly or monthly, depending on my workload.

I had a lot of fun writing Erza's social awkwardness. Hopefully I haven't stretched it too much, I find it so adorable!

As usual, thank you for your encouraging reviews. I'm especially honored that some of you who don't usually leave reviews have gone out of your comfort zone for me. :)

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, thanks for reading!


	7. Bluebells

**Chapter 7 - Bluebells**

Blue calla lilies. Lyon wrinkles his nose. Too artificial—just white lilies dyed blue.

Blue tulips. Too delicate and high maintenance. Doesn't suit Juvia.

Blue roses. A bit too passionate for a friendly gift. He'd better save those for an actual date.

Bluebells. Quirky, hardy, and beautiful. The flippant curve of the petals reminds him of Juvia's curled hair when they first met. Perfect.

As if pleased by his internal compliments, the bundle of bluebells sway back and forth in a peculiar dance, their leaves and petals moving in unison. Several customers at the small flower shop stop to gawk, but Lyon merely grins as he turns to his team mate.

"Good choice," Sherry praises. Like an orchestra conductor, she sways one hand back and forth to the rhythm of the dancing blossoms. "But I wonder if your love is strong enough? You only took half an hour to pick a flower."

Lyon chuckles. "Really? Perhaps I should deliberate a little longer then."

The doll magic user huffs and props her hands on her hips, effectively ending her spell. "I was joking! I have a date with my Ren-ren to get to. So you better be done now, 'cause I'm not staying much longer."

The silver haired man carefully picks a small bunch of bluebells from their display bucket. "Go on and enjoy your date, Sherry. Thanks for helping me with this."

The mild look of annoyance vanishes from his helper's face, replaced with a pleased smile. "You're welcome. I'm sure Juvia will be thrilled by your gift of love."

"I hope so." To the untrained eye, Lyon's expression remains casually relaxed. But Sherry has known him for more than seven years—she catches the nearly imperceptible tension of his jaw that gives away his worry.

"What's wrong?"

A sigh. Having close friends is both a blessing and a curse. There is no hiding anything from them. "Juvia's in love with Gray," Lyon admits. The water mage's very open mannerism makes this fact undeniably obvious.

"Oh." An awkward silence saturates the air as Sherry fiddles with her long magenta hair, trying to find something encouraging to say. The irony of the situation doesn't escape her; once upon a time she held one-sided love for Lyon, and now it is his turn to feel the ache of unrequited affection.

"You'd better hurry to Ren, I don't want him hunting me down again." Lyon says helpfully, giving her an out.

"Right! Oh look at the time, I'm going to be late. Ren, my love, I'm coming!" With a flourish, she opens the door of the flower shop and takes a step out before jerking to a stop. Although Lyon has given her a way out of the conversation, there is something she should to say.

"Lyon…" Her back faces him, but she knows he can hear her regardless. "A woman can only love a man so much until she realizes there's a better man than him."

Sherry's characteristic airiness is conspicuously absent, and Lyon isn't sure if she is talking about herself or Juvia. Perhaps both.

"Love is a battle!" Sherry reverts to her usual self, blue eyes alight with passion as she looks over her shoulder at him. "Fight with the strength of all your love and prove you're the better man for her. If you do, your feelings will reach her for sure."

_Trust me, I know from experience. _Lyon catches her unsaid words.

"I'll be rooting for you~" she sing songs, and then she is gone in a flurry of petals.

"Hey, be careful with my flowers!" The shop keep yells after her.

Lyon watches the empty doorway for a second, then shakes his head and looks for the cash register.

_Thank you, Sherry._

* * *

The sun has only just gone down, but a party is already in full swing at the Honey Bone Lodge. At least half of Fairy Tail is sloshed already, red faced and fumbling with drunken jubilance.

Gray grumbles and rubs his sore behind. He had been wrong—_very _wrong—about Erza calming down after his escape strategy. Not only did she give him an earful, she also _spanked_ him with the flat of her sword. Repeatedly. Apparently using strawberry cake as a diversion is crossing the line in her book.

"Gray-" A noticeable pause accentuates a certain missing suffix. "Are you alright?" Juvia drifts toward him, worry etched on her face. She has changed back into her usual navy blue dress coat and hat.

"I'm still in one piece." He tries not to react to just how unnatural his name sounds on her lips.

The worried lines of her face soften and she abruptly extends her arms toward his face, holding a fluffy white pillow in her grasp. "Juvia is sorry she was unable to stop Erza. She brought this for you to sit on so maybe it won't hurt so much…"

Gray can only see the upper half of her face over the top of the pillow being shoved toward him. Even so, the sincere kindness radiating from her eyes is obvious. Accepting the puffy object, he places it on a wooden bench before sitting down. Ah, that really is quite comfortable.

Juvia smiles at his expression of relief and he finds himself unthinkingly reaching to pat her head. Belatedly, he realizes her hat is in the way and readjusts his aim toward her shoulder. Except she lowers herself to sit next to him at the same time, and he ends up cupping her cheek in a surprisingly intimate gesture. Several beats pass as they stare at each other in flustered astonishment.

Gray sharply pulls his hand away as if burned by the heat spreading through Juvia's face. "That was an accident! I didn't mean to—you know. Uh, yeah." He finishes lamely, averting his gaze in the opposite direction.

Thankfully everyone else was too busy partying to notice his faux pas. He gulps and focuses on watching his guild's antics in an attempt to calm his rattled heart and forget the softness of Juvia's cheek and the tickling of silky tresses on the back of his hand. But although he isn't looking at her, somehow he is intensely aware that Juvia is right there next to him. It's like all his nerve endings are firing at once, leaving him so hyper sensitive that he can _feel_ her there even though neither of them are touching.

Across the room, Natsu has picked Lucy up like a bride and is spinning around in circles to the music of the hotel's radio lacrima. Blonde hair streaming behind her, the celestial mage's lively laughter fills the room. Her left leg is in a cast and her forehead is still bandaged, but she looks otherwise happy and healthy. Gray smiles sincerely, grateful for her recovery.

A familiar feeling of jealousy seeps into Juvia when she sees the way he smiles at Lucy. Taking a deep breath, she tries to will the feeling away. _Let go. Just let go._

As the tempo of the music increases, Natsu spins faster until he and Lucy are little more than a blur to onlookers. Too soon, he wobbles to a stop. Looking up in confusion, horror replaces Lucy's grin when she notices the dragon slayer's green complexion. _He's motion sick?!_

"N-Natsu! Put me down! Don't you dare throw up on—"

"BLUARG!"

Gray finds himself impressed by the swiftness with which Lucy hobbles after an escaping Natsu and, once she catches up to him, the ferocity with which she beats him with her crutch. Any lingering worry he had for her well-being is gone now, although the same cannot be said for Natsu. He'll miss his rival. May he rest in peace.

A firm knock on the door can barely be heard over Natsu's cries for mercy.

Wendy's sharp ears catch the sound regardless. "I'll get it!" She tugs the sturdy door open with moderate difficulty, revealing a familiar Lamia Scale member.

"Ah, Lyon-san!" She isn't sure who she was expecting, but it hadn't been him.

"Hello, Wendy-chan. That was a good fight you had with Chelia yesterday." He says kindly.

"Really? Thank you!" The young girl beams, proud to be praised. "What can I help you with?"

"I'm here to see Juvia."

"Okay!" She turns toward the raging party and calls, "Juvia-san!" Her soft voice gets drowned out by the commotion.

Cana, who is sitting close to the door, puts down her barrel of alcohol momentarily. "Oh Juviaaaa! -hic- Lover-boy's here to see youuuuu!" She hollers over the ruckus, voice echoing through the hotel bar. A brief silence ensues when every room occupant stops to stare at the entryway.

Lyon fidgets, but Cana winks saucily at him. "You're welcomeee," she slurs before lifting her barrel once more.

Juvia springs from her seat and rushes to Lyon's side, dismaying Gray with her apparent eagerness.

"Good evening," she greets him with a shy smile. The guild feigns disinterest as they return to their previous activities, but their subdued energy reveals the fact that they are still watching from the corner of their eyes.

"Good evening." Lyon mimics, pulling out a small bouquet of bluebells from behind his back. "For the fairest maiden." He half bows and offers the flowers to the wide-eyed woman.

"F-for Juvia?" She asks, glancing around as if disbelieving the gift could possibly be for her.

"Of course." Gently taking one of her hands, Lyon lays the bluebells on her palm. "I was worried about you after what happened today so I wanted to check up on you. Are you doing alright?"

"Yes." Despite the flush tinting her cheeks, Juvia meets his eyes smiling warmly. "These are Juvia's favorite flowers. Thank you, Lyon-sama. For everything."

Lyon's heart skips a few beats before fluttering like an excited butterfly. The sincerity of her expression takes his breath away, and he can only nod dumbly when she asks him to wait while she puts the flowers in her room. It is not until after she ascends the lobby staircase that Lyon realizes what she just called him.

Instinctively he looks for Gray, the only other person Juvia calls similarly. He is surprised when his fellow pupil meets his gaze head on, dark eyes blazing with vehemence. Interesting.

The sound of someone clearing his throat brings Lyon's gaze down to Fairy Tail's diminutive guild master.

"Master Makarov." He inclines his head respectfully.

"Hello there Lyon," the old man greets, wearing a toothy grin. "Would I be correct in assuming you helped bring Juvia back to us earlier today?"

"Ah, well she went back on her own. All I did was give her a little support," he replies sheepishly.

"Nonetheless, I'm sure that support meant the world to her. Thank you for taking care of one of our own. You're welcome at Fairy Tail any time. Come on in, join the party!" Makarov teeters slightly from the alcohol in his system and Lyon grabs his shoulder to steady him while the elder leads him toward the heart of the festivity.

From his seat on the side of the room, Gray gnashes his teeth. Lyon's little flower display earlier really rubbed him the wrong way. He doesn't want to acknowledge that the dynamic between Lyon and Juvia has changed. Just yesterday Juvia would get flustered from Lyon's advances, unsure of what to make of them. But now... though there is still an air of uncertainty, Juvia seems to be more receptive, maybe even appreciative. Makarov's acceptance of Lyon certainly doesn't help matters any. Gray's stomach roils when he recalls the way Juvia smiled so fondly for his childhood rival.

_I'm jealous._ Gray finally admits to himself. _God, this stinks. Is this what Juvia's had to deal with all this time?_

The woman in question prances back down the staircase, a dark bundle in her arms. "Juvia was going to wash this tonight, but Lyon-sama came unexpectedly so…"

"Don't worry about that, Juvia-sama." Lyon takes his cloak from her and drapes it around his shoulders. He catches the refreshing fragrance of morning dew, and is secretly glad Juvia didn't have time to wash her scent off.

"Eh?!" Juvia squeals. "Not Juvia-sama. Just Juvia!"

"Oh? Then just Lyon is fine," he retaliates with a smirk. He's honored that Juvia thinks highly of him, but he wants her to see him as an equal, not raise him on a pedestal. His fingers fumble to fasten his cloak under his chin without the aid of a mirror.

Dainty hands join to help him. "But… Juvia feels odd saying your name without honorific."

Juvia moves to withdraw her hands after clasping his cloak, but Lyon catches them and holds them against his chest. He wonders if she can feel the beating of his heart. "Well, if you must add a suffix then I suppose Lyon-koi (1) will do," he flirts.

The water mage's light blush turns five shades darker. Her lips part as if to say something, but nothing but incoherent squeaks come out.

Lyon laughs quietly at her predicament. "I'm kidding, Juvia. You can call me whatever you wish. But, it would make me happiest if you could call me Lyon."

"Okay… Lyon." She surrenders shyly, the blush fading back to a rosy pink.

She says his name so sweetly, her expression so endearing, that Lyon can't help himself anymore. Leaning forward, he parts her bangs and plants a tender kiss on her overly-affectionate-Erza-induced bruise.

The loud crack of splintering wood interrupts the moment as a sudden cold front permeates the room. Lyon knows what—or rather, who— is coming. Pulling Juvia securely against him, he turns to see one absolutely _livid_ Fullbuster stalking towards them.

"Lyon," Gray seethes, fury emanating from every pore of his body. If looks could kill, Lyon would have died many times over.

"Gray," Lyon answers curtly, pretending not to notice how much his fellow ice mage wants to take him out.

"What do you think you're doing?" A threatening hiss.

"Hugging. Flirting." A blunt remark.

The temperature chills another ten degrees. "Juvia isn't someone you can play with!" Gray snarls.

"I'm not playing." Lyon's expression turns serious, bristling at the insinuation.

The two ice mages lock eyes, neither willing to back down as the room temperature plummets lower and lower. The heat of their stare is a harsh contrast to the coldness of their magic.

"Oh heeeeeell no!" Cana exclaims. Her precious beer is frozen inside the barrel.

Feeling Juvia shiver against him, Lyon immediately cuts the flow of magic exiting his body. "This isn't the time or place to fight." He gazes pointedly toward Juvia, who looks thoroughly lost and mildly frightened as her eyes dart back and forth between the feuding mages.

Gray follows his gaze and closes his eyes. It takes every ounce of will power to reel in his magical energy. When he is done, his voice comes out incredibly strained.

"Juvia, we need to talk."

* * *

**A/N:**

(1) Koi: refers to a lover, usually a boyfriend/girlfriend or young married couple.

Source: My Japanese friend. The same one who broke my heart when she told me Gray's famous line about Juvia (Don't go taking what's mine!) is actually a mistranslation. Apparently he says "Don't go taking away our guild mate" in the Japanese manga. D:

Credits to my lovely reviewer, Phylaphy, for Sherry's line "A woman can only love a man so much until she realizes there's a better man than him." I thought it summed up Juvia's potential feelings very well.

A guest reviewer also corrected me on the last chapter. Apparently Juvia's been saying Lyon-sama since manga chapter 265. Woops. For the sake of this story I'm going to have to pretend that didn't happen! Please excuse my inaccuracy.

**An important question**: I've noticed that most stories either stick to one point of view, or have a clear indicator for when they change point of views. On the other hand, I tend to switch back and forth between characters and don't provide clear markers such as page breaks or "Sangami's POV." Do I ever confuse you with my writing style, or is it okay so far?

After reading your reviews, I have decided to update biweekly rather than monthly. Thanks for the support everyone! ^-^


	8. Feelings

**Chapter 8 - Feelings**

_Why does Gray-sama… Gray. Why does Gray need to talk to Juvia?_

Juvia watches the dark haired man carefully, noting his clenched fists, uneven breathing, and furrowed brows. He almost looks like he's in pain, she realizes worriedly. Normally she would not hesitate to fulfill Gray's every demand—though he rarely asks anything of her—but tonight is special.

She glances up at Lyon, who has yet to release her from his secure embrace. Not that she's complaining; apart from being momentarily chilled—and he stopped as soon as he recognized she was cold—Juvia has felt surprisingly comfortable in his arms. Ever since Lyon found her in the rain, she's been unable to look at him in quite the same way. In that short meeting he showed her more kindness than most people had in a lifetime. She gets the feeling that he would never, ever, hurt her intentionally. It's almost as if he cherishes her. The thought sends a warm sensation trickling through her body.

A cloud scoots with the evening breeze, letting moonlight stream through the window and illuminate the silver of Lyon's hair. His onyx eyes gleam like a star filled night, and Juvia swears his aura is visibly sparkling. Or perhaps that's just her overactive imagination. She blinks. No sparkles. However, the moon still highlights his aristocratic nose and handsome bone structure. The steady drumming of his heart beneath toned pectorals pulses under her palm, and Juvia wonders if she's falling for Lyon. But, is it alright to be falling for him when she is still struggling to let go of Gray?

Speaking of which, Gray is still waiting for her response. She isn't sure what to do. He is important to her—he will always be—but as much as she wants to follow him and settle whatever is troubling him, she can't just brush off Lyon and leave him alone after he came all this way just to see her.

Sensing her conflict, Lyon smiles understandingly. "You can do whatever you wish, Juvia. Don't worry on my account."

"But..."

"Whatever you choose, I'll be here." He reassures her. When she catches the confidence reflected in his eyes, she realizes he isn't just talking about this instance. He trusts her enough to stand by her decisions both now and in the future.

It strikes a chord within her. What has she done to deserve such devotion? This man treats her like a princess, trusts her with his heart, guards her from harm, and respects her freedom, all the while asking nothing in return—nothing except her affection. Hers. Juvia's. The imperfect, awkward rain woman. He doesn't reject her even after witnessing her at her absolute worst today. She's not sure what he sees in her, but she is touched—so touched—that he is willing to accept her for all that she is and isn't.

And she admits that _yes_, she is falling for Lyon. And no, it isn't wrong of her because she isn't using him as a rebound from her unrequited love for Gray. Rather, she genuinely likes him for being the kind, affectionate, wonderful man he is.

"Juvia will be back," she promises. Lyon releases her and, in an impulsive act of boldness, she reaches up and brushes her fingers along his jaw. The silver haired man can only gawk in pink-faced astonishment as she turns away from him.

A garbled noise escapes Gray's throat and Juvia is alarmed by the level of distress etched in his face. "What's wrong, Gray?" she asks worriedly.

Her nakama doesn't answer, opting to take her hand instead. Although agitation lines every niche of his posture, his hold on her is gentle as he leads her outside to talk in private.

Cana winks sassily at the two on their way out. "Have fuuuuun and remember, do everything I would doooo. -hic- And trust me, I'd do lotssss. Like there was this one time-"

The ice mage closes the front door before she can go into detailed descriptions of past trysts that he really doesn't want to know about. Behind closed doors, the sound of Fairy Tail's partying is muted to a quiet hum. Gray closes his eyes and takes large gulps of the cool evening air, trying to quell the heated pressure that's been threatening to suffocate him ever since Lyon arrived to see Juvia. The sick tension in his stomach is almost enough to cover the fear eating away at his soul. Almost, but not quite.

A warm hand rubs his back soothingly and Gray can't help but relax against the comforting touch. He cracks an eye open and all he can see are concerned sapphire orbs glimmering like jewels under the light of the street lamp. He gives Juvia's hand a thankful squeeze while her other hand continues to drift across the ridges of his back.

What a fool he's been. There is no one to blame for his current predicament other than himself. Any man would be lucky to be loved by a woman like Juvia. True, she has her quirks. She used to stalk him, though she stopped as her confidence grew. She can get overly jealous, but apparently he can too. As intelligent as she is, she can perform some pretty crazy leaps in logic that make life more interesting. And her over the top displays of affection sometimes send him running for cover; but if he's honest with himself, a part of him likes it.

More than anything, however, he loves the boundless sincerity of her heart—a vast ocean of beauty that swept him off his feet when he finally bothered to _look_. He watched her transform from the bitter Phantom woman to the adoring Fairy Tail mage. And he knows that as beautiful as she is now, Juvia will only become more beautiful as she continues to grow as a person. It won't be long before other men start noticing her—heck, Lyon already has.

And therein lies the problem. Despite having Juvia's unwavering devotion, Gray has been too much of a coward to act. To him, confronting his feelings is more terrifying than an S-class mission. So he puts it off, and puts it off, and puts it off, until—a sharp pain impales his heart—until she starts falling for someone else. Someone who treats her the way she deserves—the way Gray has been too reserved to do. Well, no longer. He refuses to let this woman slip through his fingers. He refuses to live the rest of his life filled with regret. With that thought in mind he purposefully holds her gaze and braces himself to say the words he should have said long ago.

"Gray," Juvia asks, noting the shift in his expression. "What did you want to talk about?"

He doesn't know where to start. Competing thoughts rush to be voiced, but the words get jumbled before they can reach his tongue.

_Why did you stop calling me Gray-sama?_

_How come you say Lyon's name so sweetly, but say mine so forced?_

_I'm sorry I wasn't there for you in the rain._

_How the hell did you deal with jealousy so long? It fucking sucks!_

_When I said I loved you, I think I meant it._

_I'm scared. I don't want you to stop loving me._

"I…" Gray sighs in frustration at his own ineloquence. "Sorry for making a scene back there," he concedes. "I just— it bothers me when…" He trails off. _Why am I so bad at this?_ He mentally rams his head against a brick wall. Nothing's coming out the way he wants it to!

Juvia stops rubbing circles along his back and gives him her full attention, silently encouraging him to continue. He stares deeply into her eyes, trying to convey the emotions his words cannot.

"It bothers me when you're with Lyon. Because… because of my feelings…" _I want you to love me and only me._ He holds her gaze even as his face flushes from his confession. He wonders how Juvia does this on a regular basis; her very public proclamation of _GRAY-SAMA LOVE _is still fresh in his mind.

Juvia cocks her head to the side, trying to decipher the meaning behind his vague words. He's upset about Lyon because of his feelings, but she knows he only cares for herself as nakama. Then that means—oh dear. How did she miss all the signs?! The times they ate lunch and dinner together, the way they bicker like newlyweds, the waterslide incident, and their passionate staring contest mere minutes ago. _Gray loves Lyon!_

Gray heaves a sigh of relief when Juvia's eyes flash with clarity. Her cheeks take on a rosy hue and her lips part with a surprised "oh." To any passersby they probably look like they're in a competition to see who can do the best impression of a tomato. Even so, Gray can't keep the smile creeping on his face. Juvia's expression is just too cute, and he's glad she is finally able to understand his feelings for her.

"J-Juvia is sorry, she didn't know you felt that way." She covers her face in embarrassment.

"Don't be. I know I'm not the most open person when it comes to stuff like this." Gray rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

"Even so… oh, Juvia feels terrible. It must have been awful to see her with Lyon like that." Her voice is muffled behind her hands.

"Yeah, it was pretty bad. But really, don't worry about it. You didn't know. And now you do, so…" He places his hands over hers and strokes them calmly, trying to get her to uncover her face. "Let's just move on, okay?"

She parts her fingers enough for her shining eyes to peek through. "Gray isn't angry that Juvia's been bothering him all these months?"

_All these months?! Just how long have you been seeing Lyon-bastard without me knowing?_

Voicing that question would be counter-productive, so Gray simply gives Juvia the most assuring grin he can muster. "What happened in the past doesn't matter anymore. So stop hiding from me, alright?"

She lets him lower her hands from her blushing face, blinking at him through lush lashes and a demure smile. Gray's mouth suddenly feels dry and he can hear his own pulse racing. Does she know how alluring she is, or is she seducing him without even trying? Licking his lips, he finds himself slowly leaning in to kiss her.

Suddenly Juvia clasps his shoulders firmly. "Thank you for telling Juvia before things got out of hand. Wait here, Juvia will make things clear to Lyon right away!" She says determinedly. Her own feelings for Lyon are only just budding, but who knows how long Gray has harbored his love. If it is for the sake of the two men she adores, she will do anything to ensure their happiness.

As Juvia marches back into the hotel resolutely, Gray deflates in disappointment. He really wants to know if her lips are as soft as they look. Oh well, a smirk graces his features, he'll have plenty of chances in the future. And yet, a strange feeling of apprehension creeps up his spine while he watches the gibbous moon. He tries to shrug it off as anticipation of another confrontation with Lyon, but the nagging at the back of his mind won't go away.

He can't quite put his finger on it, but something feels… off.

* * *

**A/N:**

I was entertaining the idea of confusing Juvia with GrayxLyon for a while, and then Mashima drew that waterslide filler and I just had to write it! Oh gosh, I thought it was the most hilarious thing he'd drawn in a while.

Also the kind reviewer, Yukari Hiwada, explained Gray's line to me. "I would like to correct that Gray's famous line wasn't a mistranslation. It was just another interpretation. Gray said in the manga "Uchi no mon... (forgot what's next)" with 'uchi' that can mean I/We (or My/Our) and 'mon' from 'mono' which means 'thing'. "My/Our thing..." so he's claiming possession. Mashima made it ambiguous. Same old troll." I'm sorry for spreading the wrong information last chapter!

I feel bad for being unable to individually reply to wonderful guest reviewers, so I will start doing so at the end of each chapter. Thank you Shikalein, Layla, Laury rose, Ayame, RandomReviewer, kimberlouxxx, and anonymous Guests!

-Laury rose: Sorry, I had Gray do exactly what you said not to!

-kimberlouxxx: Thanks for all 6 of your reviews! I wish I knew French, it sounds like a beautiful language. Also please don't worry about your English, I can understand you just fine. English is my third language so I understand how odd it can be.

Thanks for taking the time to read and leave me your feedback! :D


	9. Misunderstandings

**Chapter 9 – Misunderstandings**

Outside the Honey Bone Lodge, Gray can hear the dull murmur of Fairy Tail's festivities abruptly go quiet. A few seconds of silence later, a chorus of laughter erupts, seeping through the cracks of the doorway into the night air. The door jerks open, a roar of hilarity bursting out together with one very disgruntled Lyon, who immediately slams the door back closed in an attempt to block the sound of Fairy Tail's hysterics.

Red faced and humiliated, he reels at Gray and points fervently at him. His lips open, close, open again, though no words come out.

It is not often that Lyon is speechless, but as entertaining as it is to watch him do his gaping fish impression, Gray would really like to get this confrontation over with.

"Something you want to say?" he drawls.

Lyon's brow twitches, but his features melt back into a fairly neutral expression. "Look, if you want, I know a few guys that might be interested. But I… uh…" His pointing arm slackens and he looks distinctly uncomfortable. "I'm not available."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Gray had expected his rival to be angry and challenge him to a duel to the death or something equally dramatic. What did Juvia say to elicit this reaction? Come to think of it, Fairy Tail isn't one to laugh at someone's rejection, so several things aren't adding up.

"You see, there are birds and there are bees…"

Oh dear lord no, is Lyon trying to give him _the talk?_

"I don't need to know about that. Stop beating around the bush!" Gray shrieks in a rather undignified manner.

"Well I was trying to let you down gently, but it seems you're too uncouth to appreciate my effort." Lyon's arm straightens and he points with renewed vigor, his finger inches away from Gray's nose.

"Ur says it's rude to point."

"I don't care!" Completely contradicting himself, Lyon lets his arm fall to his side.

Gray raises an eyebrow skeptically.

"…I got tired."

"Right." Gray agrees, though his tone makes it obvious he doesn't believe him in the slightest. "Now what were you going on about? You aren't making any sense."

Lyon crosses his arms and brings himself to his full height. "I don't _swing_ that way!" he declares theatrically.

A beat of shocked silence. Well, Gray hadn't been expecting _that._

"W-what…?"

"I said—"

"I _know_ what you said! I'm asking why you're telling me that!"

"Gray," Lyon sighs, running a hand through his silver mane. Then, realizing the gesture can be seen as an act of flirtation, he quickly stops. "I know that I'm quite the catch, but as heartbreaking as it is to accept, you must understand that I will never be able to reciprocate your feelings for me."

_What the fuck? Why am I being rejected by LYON?! _

"O-Oi, I don't know where you got that idea from, but I don't swing that way either you arrogant bastard!" Gray vehemently denies, mortified by the situation.

"You don't?" Lyon's expression is a mix of relief and confusion.

"NO!"

"But Juvia said…"

The two ice mages lapse into silence as they each try to digest the situation. The confession replays in Gray's mind and his face flushes when all the puzzle pieces fall into place. He feels like casting Ice Make: Hammer on himself when he realizes what Juvia thought the entire time. And here he thought he was successful!

On the other hand, a disgusted look crosses Lyon's features. "I never thought you would stoop so low."

"Huh?"

"I said—"

"I know what you said! I mean what the hell are you talking about, moron?!"

"Who are you calling a moron? You wet your bed until you were nine years old! Nine!"

The dark haired man blushes furiously. "Eight! I was eight! And that has nothing to do with anything. That was low and you know it!"

"Not as low as you! You convinced Juvia I'm gay to keep her for yourself!" Lyon retorts.

Gray nearly face-palms. Lyon's ridiculous leap in logic could rival Juvia's. "If that was my plan why would I make her think I'm gay too?"

"I don't know, maybe because you're an imbecile?"

"That's it! You wanna go?" Gray strips off his shirt and takes a step forward.

"My pleasure." Lyon's top goes flying and the two ice mages launch themselves at each other.

Magical fights outside the tournament are against the rules, but nobody said anything about good old fashioned brawling. Gray winces when Lyon easily pins him to the ground. The seven year gap hadn't felt truly significant when Gray returned from the failed S-class exams. Apart from Romeo growing up and the birth of Asuka, most people looked like they'd hardly aged in seven years. Now as Gray grapples for the upper hand, he feels the reality of their age difference. The last time he fought with Lyon, they were evenly matched in terms of physical strength. Now Lyon's become stronger. But that doesn't mean Gray will take things lying down. He briefly stops struggling, and when Lyon loosens his hold, he musters all his strength to throw him off. Before the older mage can recover, he reverses their position and traps him in a head lock.

"Not bad." Lyon concedes, before twisting out of his grasp like an eel. "But I'm still better."

He tries to pin Gray to the ground again, but the younger mage throws his weight to the side and rolls on top of Lyon.

"The same trick won't work on me twice!" Gray declares triumphantly, forehead pressed against his rival's as they glare at each other in challenge.

A soft gasp interrupts the moment, and they break their stare to look at the intruder.

Wide sapphire eyes alternate between staring at the two mages and at random bits of scenery, as if unsure where they should be looking.

"Uh um… Juvia just came out to check if you were doing alright, but it seems you're both doing fine, and she is intruding on a private moment, and… and…" She covers her flaming face, turns the opposite direction, and takes off down the street.

"S-sorry, please enjoy your time together!" She squeaks, footsteps resounding along the pavement as she beats a hasty retreat.

As her fleeing form disappears into the darkness, it finally dawns on the two ice mages what they must look like. Their faces are flushed and sweaty from exertion. Their foreheads are touching. They are lying on top of each other. Shirtless.

_Dear gods, NO!_

"Juvia, this isn't what it looks like!" Gray yells as the two quarrelling men spring apart. Or try to. They trip over themselves in their haste to get away from one another, landing in a tangled heap on the floor.

"Stop touching me, Gray!" Lyon lets out an incensed cry as he attempts to extract himself from the pile.

"That's my line!" Gray counters, finally separating himself from the other man.

With a huff, Lyon dashes down the same street as Juvia, determined to clear the misunderstanding.

"JUVIA, WAIT! I'M NOT GAY!" he screams, voice bouncing off the many walls of Crocus.

Gray suppresses the urge to shout "ME NEITHER!" and instead sprints down a different street parallel to Juvia and Lyon. He'll overtake Lyon and cut off Juvia up ahead. There's no way he'll let his fellow pupil get to her first again.

"AND EVEN IF I WAS, GRAY WOULD BE THE LAST PERSON I'D GO FOR!" Lyon continues, his voice echoing distantly.

_Gee, thanks Lyon. Same to you._

* * *

On the third floor of Crocus Gardens, the capital's premier hotel and current Saber Tooth headquarters, five mages lounge on lavish sofas. Minerva takes a sip of Fiore's finest wine. It is aged to perfection, bittersweet with undertones of saffron and vanilla. Crocus offers its strongest guild nothing but the best, and she expects nothing less.

"The Grand Magic Tournament will resume tomorrow," she informs her teammates. "We will have the tag team battle in the morning. The day of rest that we usually have between day four and five has been cancelled to stay within the tournament schedule, so any guild that sustains injuries from tomorrow's battle will be at a disadvantage on day five."

Orga chuckles darkly. "So what you're saying is we should make sure to break whoever we face tomorrow, yeah?"

Minerva simply smirks.

"Don't be obvious about it like milady though," Rufus chimes in. "The committee has become squeamish on us and will penalize excessive displays of violence."

"Then all we have to do is hold back, make it look like we're struggling, then hit them all at once and call it self-defense." Sting sneers.

That prompts a laugh from everyone in the room, except from Rogue who is as impassive as always.

"Oh Sting, you devious—"

"JUVIA, WAIT! I'M NOT GAY!" The absurd declaration brings everyone's attention to the ornate window, open to welcome the crisp evening air. They are just in time to see a blue blur vanish from their plane of sight, but there is nothing else out of the ordinary in the street below. They are about to turn away when a second assertion interrupts the peaceful stillness of the night.

"AND EVEN IF I WAS, GRAY WOULD BE THE LAST PERSON I'D GO FOR!" This time they have enough time to register a shirtless silver-haired man running down the street frantically, presumably chasing the blue blur from earlier. He waves his arms wildly in the air, resembling a flustered chicken trying to fly.

"What. The. Fuck." Orga voices their thoughts once the silver figure passes by.

Rogue hides a smile. He had warned Fairy Tail of Juvia's imminent betrayal out of a sense of obligation. Lucy's beating was within tournament guidelines at the time, but Juvia's curse was not. He had only meant to stop a potential sneak attack from the water mage and expected the Fairies to arm themselves and take her down when she arrived. Instead, they had shoved him out of the way and run to find the source of danger herself, saying something about saving their precious friend.

He'd thought them crazy at the time. One does not simply overcome Bloom of Corruption. One who has been cursed will always be a threat that must be destroyed. And yet, if the ridiculous scene just now is any indication, Fairy Tail has proved him wrong. Juvia is alive and well, and seems to have gained an eccentric admirer from Lamia Scale. His respect for Fairy Tail grows, and he wonders what it's like to be in a guild that values their members' well-being more than their strength.

A wave of killing intent slowly saturates the room.

"If we face Fairy Tail tomorrow," Minerva's expression is cold and menacing. "Make sure to crush them by any means available."

* * *

**A/N:**

Sorry for being a week late! Work has gotten crazy busy lately so I've had little personal time to sit down and write. Even so, your encouraging reviews keep me motivated to keep writing whenever I can. Thank you! :D

Nagichan has asked for my permission to draw fanart based on this story. To both Nagichan and any other artists out there, my answer is YES! In fact, I'd be absolutely honored if you would. My only request is that you leave me a link or something so that I can admire your art too! I might even ask to use it as this story's cover art if I think it fits the story as a whole.

Also please note that while I use GrayxLyon as a source of humor in this story, I have nothing against homosexuals and I don't mean to be offensive in any way!

Special thanks to Ayame, Kimberlouxxx (Bravo!), Nagichan, Laury rose, Layla, fuwafuwa, Yuuril, penguin trainer, RandomReviewer, and other unnamed guests. Your kind words make me smile!

Until next time~ Thanks for reading!


	10. Turmoil

**Chapter 10 – Turmoil**

Thumping footfalls ring off the walls of Crocus as two ice mages course swiftly through the streets, each striving to reach their target before the other. While Lyon runs down the same path as Juvia, Gray goes a different route to cut her off.

Not caring that he's technically cheating, Gray rockets himself forward by shooting ice from the bottom of his feet. At the next intersection, he banks left and reaches the corner of Juvia's street, waiting in the shadows for her to arrive. He is starting to worry that she has already passed when he hears her agile footsteps approaching. Before she can run by him, he snatches her off the main road and into the alleyway, covering her mouth to stifle her cry of surprise.

"Shh, it's me!" He whispers in her ear and presses her against the wall away from the moonlit pavement. Deep blue eyes gleam curiously at him in the darkness, but Juvia does not struggle against his hold. A streak of silver rushes by shortly thereafter, not noticing the huddled figures in the adjacent alley. Gray waits until Lyon's footsteps fade in the distance before uncovering Juvia's mouth, belatedly realizing he's been acting like a deranged kidnapper. Even so, he feels satisfied after successfully getting the water mage alone.

The moon beams hauntingly down at them, casting enchanting shades of silver light and cobalt shadow. It is late enough that the residents of Crocus have retreated for the night. All is silent, save for the soft rustle of the evening breeze as it plays quietly with their hair.

"Gray-sama?" Juvia inquires, forgetting to drop the honorific in her confusion.

Perhaps it is the safety of darkness. Or the fact that there is no Lyon, no Fairy Tail, nobody around to pry into this moment. Perhaps it is the way starlight reflects in her eyes, the feel of her body pressed against his, her delicate scent lingering in the air. Or maybe Gray is finally tired of hiding his heart behind a wall of ice, always careful, always calculating.

Tonight he throws caution to the wind and just wants to _feel._

Almost as if in a trance, he cups Juvia's face and tenderly caresses her cheek with the pad of his thumb. It's even softer than he remembered it.

"Juvia," his voice is deep and husky against the shell of her ear, sending tremors running down her body. Juvia doesn't understand what's happening. Gray should be with Lyon. So why is he pinning her against a wall, half-naked, touching her, whispering in her ear— being so damn _sensual?_ If this goes on, she thinks her heart might explode.

"My feelings aren't for Lyon." He pulls back just enough to rest his forehead against hers. "They're only for you." With one arm propped against the wall and the other hand securing her face, he effectively cages her in with his body, ensuring she can look at him and only him.

Juvia wonders if she's dreaming. Her knees feel weak and she is drowning in the fathomless abyss of Gray's eyes, his warm touch gentle yet simmering with latent power while his masculine aroma permeates her senses.

"But you said you only love Juvia as nakama." She manages to voice through the mesmerizing haze clouding her mind.

She feels, rather than hears, the rumbling chuckle that reverberates through Gray's chest. He brings his face so close to hers that all she can make out is the curve of his cheekbone framed by raven black hair.

"I lied." His breath tickles her mouth, and the next thing she feels is something hot and moist pressed against her lips.

Her world explodes. She's burning and melting at the same time, knees buckling, hands grasping clumsily at Gray in an effort to keep herself upright. Her eyes close instinctively, heart beating so intensely it almost hurts with pleasure. Every nerve in her body goes into frenzy, dizzy with desire, picking up every nuance of touch—every sensation available. She can't suppress the mewl of craving that escapes her throat, and Gray heatedly pulls her flush against his body as he daringly runs his tongue along her lips. She nearly faints from sensory overload.

_Why are ice mages so __**hot**__?_

Memories of another ice mage struggle to be noticed through the thick fog of passion.

Bluebells. A steadily beating heart. Strong arms and a well-muscled chest. The color of the moon. A comforting embrace warm enough to save her even in her darkest hour.

Lyon.

It is as if someone has thrown her into the frigid waters of a glacial ocean. Her eyes snap open. This is wrong.

And Juvia does something she never thought possible; she pushes Gray away.

Chest heaving, limbs shaking, lips quivering, she stares unsteadily at him. He looks as surprised by her as she is by herself.

"S-sorry… I guess I got carried away." He begins to apologize, trying to compose himself and calm the scorching desire that still grips his heart. It proves more difficult than expected, especially when he can still feel the lingering tingle of Juvia's plush lips.

"That's not it." Juvia's gaze drifts to the cobblestone path awash with liquid moonshine. "Juvia would have enjoyed it, but… why now?"

Why now, when she has been chasing after him for so long? Why now, when she is finally letting go? Why now, when she is developing feelings for Lyon?

"I…" Gray isn't sure how to respond, so he blurts the first thing that enters his head. "I didn't want to lose you to Lyon."

Almost as soon as the words exit his mouth, he wishes he can take them back. Juvia's doll like face contorts with pain and she clutches a hand over her chest as if he has physically struck her. When tears prick in the corners of her eyes, Gray feels like his heart is going to break.

"Juvia," He tries to say something—anything—to fix the situation. But the woman takes a deep breath and straightens her stance, lowering her arms with fists clenched against her side. Her visage shifts from betrayal to fury, and her eyes dance with defiance as she glares at him.

"Juvia has feelings too. She is not a thing to be won from your childhood rivalry!" She cannot stop the quiver in her voice—from hurt or anger, she isn't sure. "Lyon really likes Juvia for who she is, and Juvia is starting to like him back."

Gray tries to find words to tell her it's not true—that he isn't pursuing her because of his rivalry with Lyon. He wants to tell her all the reasons he genuinely likes her, how important she is, and how terrifying he finds the possibility of her leaving him. But he doesn't know how, and he is afraid that another clumsy confession would be taken the wrong way. Juvia takes his silence as confirmation.

She closes her eyes, pale skin glowing under moon light, and for a moment she looks as vulnerable as a newborn. "My sincerest wish is to love and be loved. I want to be happy. So please… don't play with my heart anymore."

She turns to leave. "Good bye, Gray."

The finality in her tone paralyzes him. And Gray knows that if he lets her walk away, it will all be over. She'll give up on him.

_Move, _Gray wills himself. _Move!_

He lunges at her desperately and captures her in a frantic hug, pressing her back against his chest. But she pulses with magic and he knows she's about to water body out of his grasp.

"I thought you were dead!" he yells unthinkingly.

Juvia pauses, surprised and puzzled by his unexpected admission. "What…?"

The nightmarish memories from the afternoon come rushing back from the hidden corners of his mind. Gray's shoulders hunch and he repeats in a hushed voice laced with agony, "I thought you were dead."

After revealing his greatest fear, the rest of the words come tumbling out like water from a broken dam. "My parents died. Ur died. I loved them and it hurt like hell. I… we're mages, and our lives could end at any time. I'm not afraid to die, but I'm afraid of going through that pain again; the pain of losing someone I love with all my heart. I didn't want to love you. I didn't want anyone to get closer to me than nakama. So I tried to keep you distant. Any time I felt like we were getting too close I'd back away. But," a broken chuckle leaves his lips, "you were so damn persistent. I didn't even know how much you meant to me until…" he takes a quaking breath, "until what happened today."

His arms tighten around Juvia, and she doesn't resist. Though Gray is very open about certain things—like his body, for example—it is a well-known fact that he simply does not talk about personal matters such as his past or his feelings. If he needs to deal with something, he'll stubbornly do it on his own, only giving as much information as necessary. And yet here he is. Obstinate, tight-lipped Gray revealing the secrets of his heart. Juvia can't bring herself to stop listening to his precious words.

"Do you have any idea, Juvia? Do you have any idea how panicked I was when I realized you were suffering alone in the rain? I must have run through half of Crocus screaming for you. I would have kept going too, but—" he halts mid-sentence and goes silent so long that Juvia thinks he won't say any more. She feels a faint tap on her shoulder and notices a dark spot on the fabric of her dress, as if a single drop of water landed there. But it certainly isn't raining and the only thing above her shoulder is Gray's face. She feels his chest shudder against her back, and her eyes widen in astonishment. It can't be…

Juvia nearly sprains her neck from the haste with which she turns her head, looking up and over her shoulder in an attempt to see Gray's expression. But the quiet man has his face tilted at such an angle that she can only see his profile highlighted by the luminous moon, his eyes covered by dark bangs. She watches, captivated, as his lips part to continue.

"Your rain stopped so suddenly. I think that was when Lyon found you. But at the time, I thought it meant something happened to you. I thought-" his lips twist into a sorrowful grimace, "I thought you succumbed to the curse. I thought you died. And I… it hurt so much I thought I was going to die too. After that I realized it's too late to keep you away when you're already part of my heart. So instead I wanted to keep you safely by my side. But I didn't know how to act after pushing you away for so long. And then Lyon came and I was scared you would give up on me. I still am. So that's why I'm doing this now. Even though Lyon's the one who forced me to act, I cared about you even before he showed up."

Juvia's stomach sinks with guilt. She falsely accused Gray of such a callous thing even while she was unknowingly making him suffer. She bows her head in shame and ponders how she should apologize for her harsh mistake.

"I might not love you as much as you love me yet, but I know it's only a matter of time before I get there," Gray finishes. His arms loosen around her, as if giving her a choice to leave if she so wishes. But the lingering touch begs her to stay. "Please don't give up on me."

Juvia could cry from the overwhelming feelings consuming her heart. How can she refuse? How can she possibly refuse after that?

She shifts in his arms and Gray thinks she will leave him. Instead, she turns around and throws her arms around him, too emotional to be embarrassed over his state of undress. She can hear the rapid flutter of his heart as the bare skin of his chest pulses against her cheek. His arms tighten around her and he nuzzles his face into her silky blue tresses, holding her as if his very life depends on it—like he will never let her go.

And Juvia wonders just what she has gotten herself into. Her heart pitter patters for Gray, as it has since the day she met him. More recently it pitter patters for Lyon as well. She needs to choose between the two, but making a decision is far from easy.

It's true that she has loved Gray for a longer time and that her feelings for him are stronger than her feelings for Lyon. But she is also acutely aware that if not for Lyon, this moment with Gray would not have happened. For one thing, who knows how much longer it would have taken Gray to act if he wasn't being pressured. And even more importantly, Juvia herself might not be alive without Lyon's intervention. He is a good man. He really is. And Juvia knows firsthand what it's like to love someone, wishing only for that person to give her a chance.

_What is Juvia to do? What is the right thing to do?_

Neither the tranquil touch of moonshine nor Gray's snug embrace can quell the turmoil of her conflicted heart.

* * *

**A/N:**

This is both the first kissing scene and the first serious confession I've written in my life. I'm not sure how well I pulled it off, so please let me know. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!

Juvia's limited use of first person speech is not a mistake. She seems to drift into first person occasionally in the manga, especially when she says something from the heart. So I thought I'd incorporating it into my writing.

I'm unsure how well I implied this, but the drop of water on Juvia's shoulder was supposed to be a tear drop. Could you let me know if my implication was clear enough or if it's something I need to improve on?

Thank you guest reviewers Laury rose, penguin trainer, tora-chan, Layla, Kimberlouxxx, Kilalan, fuwafuwa, Tweety, and anonymous guests!

-Laury rose, penguin trainer, and Kimberlouxxx: It makes me happy to be able to bring a smile to your faces :)

-fuwafuwa and Tweety: 50 page chapters? Sure! Just give me a year between updates. :P (Kidding)

And now an important announcement…

**HAPPY THANKSGIVING!** I am grateful for many things in life, one of which is your amazing support. Thank you, _everybody_, for your wonderful feedback and I wish you a beautiful day! :D


	11. Sleepover

**Chapter 11- Sleepover**

Gray heaves a sigh, running a hand peevishly through his hair as he stands alone in the alley. Well, he hadn't been rejected per se, but he hadn't exactly been accepted either. While he is grateful to still be in the running, the uncertainty is killing him.

_Is this how Juvia felt? _Remorse burdens his conscience as he recalls the way he used to carefully avoid acknowledging her obvious affections. _I guess this is what I deserve for being such an asshole._

Juvia had said she needed time to think and went for a walk to clear her head. Though it goes against common practice to allow a woman to venture in the streets alone at night, he knows Juvia is more than capable of taking care of herself. She is as strong as he is, both of them having been S-class candidates.

He turns to go back to the Honey Bone Lodge, but staggers to a halt when he reaches the street corner, nearly tripping over himself with surprise.

There, leaning nonchalantly against the wall, is one Lyon Bastia. He is settled comfortably with his arms crossed around his bare torso, giving the impression that he has been there for quite some time.

For a moment, Gray can do nothing but gape at his senior, trying to gauge just how long he has been there.

"I know I look good, but you really shouldn't stare like that if you want people to think you're straight." Lyon remarks with a flip of his hair.

That breaks Gray out of his stupor. "Has anyone ever told you how arrogant you are?"

"Has anyone ever told you how awkward you are?" Lyon counters. "Because you are very, _very _awkward."

Gray takes that as confirmation that Lyon has been there to overhear at least part of his nearly disastrous conversation with Juvia. "How long?" he asks, wanting to know just how much he heard.

Lyon's countenance darkens as he clenches his jaw. "Long enough," he replies, looking pointedly at Gray's slightly swollen lips.

A small twinge of guilt hits Gray at Lyon's covetous expression, but it is masked by the overwhelming shock pervading his mind. Lyon had been there since the kiss?! But if that was the case, then why…

"Why didn't you stop me?" he can't help but blurt.

Lyon's lips twist into a wry grin and he closes his eyes as if composing his thoughts. "Juvia deserves the best man possible," he says slowly. "I'd like to think that man is me, but I can't be sure if I run around sabotaging my competition now can I?"

_Lyon sure is full of surprises today. _Gray wouldn't have been able to stop himself if he was in Lyon's position. Heck, he couldn't even tolerate him kissing Juvia on the freaking forehead! He reluctantly admits his almost-brother is more mature than he gave him credit for. It isn't until now that he realizes Lyon truly isn't playing around.

"You're serious about her." Gray doesn't bother framing his sentence as a question.

"Of course."

"I am too."

"I know."

There is a tense silence filled with unsaid words as the two ice mages watch each other carefully, waiting for some kind of reaction.

Finally Gray huffs and slumps against the wall next to his silver counterpart. "So, now what?"

A small smile tugs at the corner of Lyon's lips as the tension dissolves. Though they are both pining for the same woman, he is glad that Gray has chosen not to let their situation make them enemies. "Now we let Juvia choose, and we respect whatever decision she makes."

Gray nods in agreement. If it were any other man, he would fight for her to the bitter end. But as much of a pain Lyon can be… he grudgingly concedes that his fellow ice mage would be a good match for her. He no longer has any doubt that Lyon would always treat Juvia the way she deserves. "If she chooses you," his heart clenches painfully at the thought. "I'll back off." _Though I'll put up one hell of a fight to make sure she chooses me in the first place._

"I'll let her be with you as long as it makes her happy." Lyon allows.

A pause.

"Though what she sees in you is a mystery to me."

_Gee, thanks Lyon. Same to you._

The older mage pushes himself off the wall with a soft grunt. "Let's go."

"What are we doing?" Gray asks, though his curiosity gets the best of him and he follows Lyon down the street anyway.

"The Grand Magic Tournament starts again tomorrow. I suspect Fairy Tail team A and B will have to merge since we now have an odd number of teams with Raven Tail disqualified. You better have Juvia's back if you end up together."

"I don't need you to tell me that," Gray smirks.

"Good," Lyon smirks back. "I'll teach you some tricks I've learned over the last seven years. Try to keep up!" He wordlessly creates an enormous crystalline owl and leaps on its back, pausing only to point at a distant hill before taking off into the night sky.

_I guess that's how he found me so quickly. Show off. _Gray forces ice from his feet and rockets toward Lyon's designated training area.

He'd never say it out loud, but his blood thrums with excitement to train with Lyon again after all these years.

* * *

Juvia cracks open the door to Honey Bone Lodge and tip toes around the sleeping figures of her comrades. It's hard not to step on any of them when they're sprawled out on the wooden floor, passed out from a combination of alcohol and strenuous partying.

"Finally back, eh, Juvia?" A rough voice resounds unexpectedly. Juvia startles and narrowly avoids treading on Max, who for some inexplicable reason is in a very _compromising_ position with a broom.

"Gajeel-kun!" She faces her friend, who sits on the staircase looking incongruous with his surroundings due to his apparent sobriety.

Sensing her bewilderment, he explains. "The old man made an announcement while you were off with you ice cubes. Tournament starts again tomorrow, so participants aren't supposed to get too wasted." He points at Cana, who is draped over a barrel of beer and snoring loudly. "She's the only exception since she's always piss drunk."

Juvia suppresses a giggle. "Not _always_. Just most of the time."

"Same thing." Gajeel rolls his eyes. "Did you settle things with the strippers?"

"Not exactly…" Juvia blushes, words spilling out in a flustered mess. "Both of them like Juvia and Juvia likes them too, and she doesn't know what the right thing to do is, and she took a walk to try to figure it out but she only got herself more confused, and—" She halts when Gajeel raises a hand signaling her to stop.

"I don't _do_ girl talk, you crazy rain woman." Though his words are harsh, his tone is not. "If you need to talk about sappy shit, go talk to a fucking girl."

"If you don't want to know, then don't ask!" Juvia recomposes herself and mocks offense, picking up a fork from the nearby table and throwing it at the iron dragon slayer.

He catches it, bends it in half, then shoves the whole thing in his mouth. "Id was a yesh or no queshion," he defends through a mouthful of metal.

"Fine," Juvia allows. Finally maneuvering her way to the staircase, she plops herself down next to her best friend and leans her head on his shoulder. "The answer is no."

He grunts noncommittally. "Oh well. But damn, you sure have a dirty mind."

"Eh?" The water mage raises her head from his shoulder.

"Both people you like just _happen _to be strippers. You got some sort of stripping fetish, or just want to see naked men all the time?"

Juvia elbows him in the ribs, though she knows it won't hurt him unless she puts some magic power behind it. Physical strength isn't her forte, especially against a man with iron skin.

"Ow. That fucking hurts. I think I'm going to die. Some friend you are," he deadpans.

She rises to her feet and messes his already scruffy hair. "Juvia thinks you'll live. She is going to get ready for bed now. We will need to be prepared for tomorrow's battle."

"Yeah." Gajeel gets up and walks up the stairs with her. They reach his room first and stop at the doorway. "I don't care about the sappy stuff but know this, Juvia." His crimson eyes bore seriously into her blue ones. "If either of them hurt you, I will beat the living shit out of them and make them eat it. Just say the word and I'm there."

"That won't be necessary, Gajeel-kun." Juvia smiles kindly, sensing the hidden affection behind his violent threat. "But thank you nonetheless."

Her friend shrugs his bulky shoulders, enters his room, and slams the door shut hard enough for the entire second floor to vibrate.

"Is it that difficult to close the door normally?" Panther Lily's muffled complaint seeps through the wall.

Juvia giggles and heads toward her room, but pauses when she hears a quiet, melodious humming. It is not completely in tune, but still manages to sound sweet and pleasant.

Lucy.

Guilt churns in Juvia's stomach and she finds herself standing in front of Lucy's door, hand raised to knock but unable to complete the action.

Lucy got hurt because of her incompetence. Although master Makarov assured her nobody blames her, she is still unable to forgive herself. A lump forms in her throat when she recalls the horrible thoughts from Bloom of Corruption. And now that she knows her fits of jealousy and accusations of Lucy trying to steal Gray were completely unwarranted, she feels even more shamefaced.

_Juvia has been a horrible nakama to Lucy. _

She closes her eyes, gulps nervously, and clenches her raised fist tighter. She needs to do this.

_Knock._

The wooden sound resounds softly. A timid part of Juvia hopes Lucy won't answer.

"Coming!" A muted sing-song voice trickles through the cracks of the doorframe. Conflicting feelings of relief and trepidation rush through her.

Lucy opens the door before Juvia has a chance to compose herself, chocolate brown eyes widening with mild surprise.

"Juvia! I wasn't expecting you; I don't usually see you unless Gray's around."

The water mage hangs her head, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

"Ah, that's not to say you aren't welcome here!" Lucy quickly amends, smiling warmly in an attempt to comfort her friend. "Come on in. I'm happy to finally have a guest who knows how to knock before entering!"

This coaxes a ghost of a grin from Juvia, who pads through the doorway and follows Lucy to the living room couch, sitting stiffly beside her.

"Um, so do you want anything to drink?" Lucy tries to ease Juvia's awkward tension. "I can make some tea, or maybe some-"

"I'm sorry."

"Wh… what?" Lucy isn't sure if she heard correctly. What does Juvia have to apologize for?

"Juvia said she… I… I'm sorry." The rain woman bows her head in shame. "Lucy is always so kind to Juvia. And yet Juvia has been a bad nakama. She accuses you of stealing Gray, she gets jealous of you, and today… she almost let you die." Her voice trails off painfully.

Lucy's expression hardens. "Juvia."

The blue-haired woman flinches at her firm tone.

"Juvia, look at me." The celestial mage commands.

Juvia slowly raises her head but instead of the anger she expects, Lucy's countenance is a careful balance between stern and gentle.

"What happened with me and Minerva today is not your fault. I knew she was out of my league, but I still chose not to forfeit. That was my own decision, so don't you dare blame yourself. Understand?" She doesn't soften her gaze until Juvia nods her head hesitantly, like she wants to believe her but isn't quite sure if she should.

"Don't worry." The blond continues. "My injuries are almost completely healed now, see?" She gestures to the cast tucked under the coffee table. "Porlyusica took that off my leg a few hours ago. It had restorative runes written inside to speed up the healing process. Pretty neat, huh?"

Juvia deftly scrutinizes Lucy from head to toe, remembering all the wounds she had cleaned from her friend's body and seeing nothing but smooth skin in their place. She doesn't realize how heavy the burden on her conscience had been until it melts from her heart, pooling in her eyes before running down her face in rivulets.

"Aw, don't cry Juvia! I'm okay. Really." Lucy quickly pats her back to reassure her.

"B-but, Juvia is so relieved." The emotional woman sniffles through her tears, her voice taking on a high pitched whimper in her distress. "Juvia is so glad you don't hate her for everything she's done."

Lucy's gaze softens and she gently places a hand on the side of Juvia's head, drawing her close and pulling her friend's face against the crook between her neck and shoulder. She runs her hand soothingly through Juvia's waterfall of hair, feeling the heat of tears against her collarbone as they soak through her pink nightgown.

"You're too hard on yourself, Juvia. I don't like seeing you cry, but I'm really grateful to have a friend who cares so much about me. There's no way I could ever hate you."

The water mage hiccups a few times and nestles closer to Lucy much like a small child. Lucy fights down the urge to coddle her. _Why am I getting all motherly? We're the same age, for goodness sake!_

Juvia's tears ease to a stop, though she does not move away. "Lucy really is an amazing person."

Lucy smiles embarrassedly. "I'm flattered, but I'm really not as great as you think I am."

Sapphire eyes blink up disbelievingly at her.

"It's true! I… Even though I try not to show it, I can be kind of vain." The blond looks away bashfully. "I take a lot of time trying to look my best, even when it's not practical. I even run low on rent money sometimes because I just had to splurge on something pretty. And you should see my stash of beauty products at home. You'd be appalled!"

Juvia pulls away and sits upright, tilting her head thoughtfully. "That doesn't make you any less of a good person. Lyon says that even if you have flaws, you are still beautiful if you do your best to make the right decisions."

A sincere smile brightens Lucy's features. "That's a nice way of putting it. Thanks."

Blink. _Wait a minute…_

The sincere smile slowly transforms into a mischievous one. The glint in Lucy's brown eyes makes Juvia fidget nervously in her seat.

"So… Lyon, huh? Sounds like you two have gotten pretty close. Want to tell me about what happened while I was knocked out? Oh, and while you're at it tell me about what happened with Gray too. I've never seen him so jealous before!"

The blond cackles deviously and for the second time that night, Juvia wonders just what she has gotten herself into.

"Umm… it's a long story and we should probably be resting since the tournament is tomorrow." She offers evasively.

Lucy makes a tutting sound. "Tsk tsk, Juvia. That's what sleepovers are for!"

"Sleepover?" The water mage looks mildly perplexed.

"Yeah, haven't you ever been on one?"

"No." Juvia's gaze drops to the beige carpet. Her next sentence is so quiet Lucy nearly misses it. "Nobody used to like Juvia."

_Nobody? _Lucy's surprise melds into sorrow as she remembers the dark, lonely phantom woman Juvia had once been. _That's right… _There must be some kind of painful reason someone so innately caring had been forced to become that way. But that's in the past now, and Lucy is determined to make the best of the present.

Taking both of Juvia's pale hands in her own, she smiles happily. "I, Lucy Heartfillia, invite my wonderful nakama, Juvia Lockster, to the first of many sleepovers to come!"

The effect is instantaneous. Blue eyes dull with sadness light back up and sparkle with candid excitement. Juvia leaps from the couch and hops in place, shifting her weight between each foot. "Juvia heard that at sleepovers you're supposed to bring junk food! Juvia will go buy some right away. What does Lucy like to eat? Oh, and she will have to go get her pajamas and—what else are you supposed to bring to a sleepover?"

Lucy laughs heartily; Juvia's excitement is contagious. "It's late, let's save the junk food for next time. And I have a spare set of pajamas you can wear." She gets up and opens one of the hotel drawers, pulling out a short, lacy white night dress with spaghetti straps.

The water mage blanches, uncomfortable with the outfit's immodesty. "Um… Juvia can get her own pajamas. Her room is right down the hall."

"But I want to see you in something different! That's part of the fun in sleepovers, you know?"

"Really…?"

"Yes!" Lucy does her best puppy pout. "Please? It's just us two anyways!" She waves the ivory cloth encouragingly.

Juvia slumps her shoulders in defeat, takes the night gown, and retreats to the bathroom.

_Victory! _Lucy hops in bed as Juvia finishes changing and pats the spot next to her, pulling back the cozy red covers in invitation.

"That looks great on you! It's fine to be modest, but showing some skin once in a while isn't so bad, is it?"

The blue haired woman takes on a rosy hue, tugging the bottom of the gown in an effort to cover more leg. The motion reveals more cleavage as the cloth is pulled downward. Giving up, she dashes to the bed and huddles under the covers.

_Well, I tried. _Lucy sighs quietly to herself, considering Juvia's somewhat prudish fashion sense. But there is a much more interesting matter at hand, and she turns to lie on her side facing her friend.

"So… tell me about Gray and Lyon!" She demands, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"Lucy is awfully interested." Juvia observes curiously, rolling over to meet her gaze.

"Of course! Girl talk is an essential part of any sleepover!"

Girl talk. Didn't Gajeel suggest, in his own crass way, that she should talk to a girl about her current predicament? Lucy has had many admirers. Surely she would have good advice on matters of love.

Hesitantly at first, then with growing confidence, Juvia tells her account of the day's happenings— Bloom of Corruption, Lyon's resuscitating kindness, letting go of Gray, Lyon's visit to Fairy Tail, Gray and Lyon's intimate moment (Lucy nearly falls off the bed in a fit of laughter), Gray's kiss and second confession, and her conflicting feelings for two ice mages.

"Well that's a complicated situation isn't it?" Lucy wipes away her remaining tears of mirth. _Gray, I will never let you live this down._ "Lyon sounds like a great guy, but you haven't known him very long. On the other hand, you've been chasing after Gray since the day you met him. But tonight's the first time he's returned your feelings."

"Juvia doesn't know what the right thing to do is…"

"With this kind of thing, I don't think there is a definite right or wrong. My mom always told me just to follow my heart, because it will always lead you to what's best for you." Lucy smiles nostalgically. "That's how I came to Fairy Tail."

Juvia wonders what it's like to have a loving mother. "What if your heart is divided?"

"Take your time. Get to know Lyon as a person, and get to know Gray's affectionate side. You shouldn't rush matters of love. Don't decide until your heart's ready."

"What if Gray or Lyon don't want to wait?"

"Someone who truly cares about you will wait for you. If one of them doesn't wait, then he isn't worth it."

The troubled woman closes her eyes for so long Lucy thinks she might have fallen asleep. Then her lips part in a whisper. "Thank you, Lucy. Juvia feels better now. She will be patient and follow her heart when it's ready."

The celestial mage smiles gently and flicks the light switches off. "You're welcome. No matter who you choose, I'll always support you."

A slender hand reaches for hers in the darkness. Their hands link and the two mages drift into a peaceful slumber.

As the night deepens, the shadow of a soundless silhouette obscures the faint moonlight filtering through the window. The bed is half hidden in shadow and half lit by the moon. Dark eyes focus on a lock of golden hair that peeks out from under the covers and catches the meager light. The silhouette cracks open the window and slips silently into the room.

* * *

**A/N:**

Hello everyone, it's been a long time! Thank you for your patience and sticking with this story even with my slow updates.

I am currently going through some very hard times. Writing this chapter was extremely difficult for me since my heart wasn't fully in it. But then I read all your reviews and I felt like I just had to do my best for you guys. I hope I was able to live up to your expectations.

Someone informed me that this story was nominated for "Best Fairy Tail Fanfictions of 2012" or something along those lines. I'm not quite sure what the details are, but I am honored that some of you find this story that great.

I rarely have time to sit at a computer nowadays, so I currently don't have time to reply to each individual review as I have done in the past (especially with your growing numbers! Not that I'm complaining, your reviews make me quite happy). However, I want you to know that I read every word of your feedback and truly appreciate your kindness. You all are wonderful, and you are what keep me writing. :D

January is almost over, but I hope you all had a fantastic new year's! May this year be full of joy for you!


	12. Future

**Spoiler alert: I have used some material up to manga chapter 317. You have been warned!**

**Chapter 12 - Future**

A shrill scream shocks Gray out of his sleep.

"What the hell—" He tumbles off his mattress, bed sheets tangled around his body as he tries to get his bearings in the dark. What was that? Lucy?

"Water Nebula!" A muffled voice shouts from the direction of Lucy's room, accompanied by the sound of a solid impact.

_Juvia!_

His heart jolts to a gallop. He kicks away the covers and throws his door open with enough force to dent the opposing wall. Natsu is one step ahead of him, blazing fists casting long shadows along the hallway as they dash to Lucy's room.

The dragon slayer doesn't bother with the doorknob, opting to smash the entire door down with a mighty crash. The first thing they see beyond the splintered wood is a globe of swirling water that glints golden-red with the light of Natsu's flame. A dark mass struggles feebly in its depths.

"What is going on here?!" Erza's sharp voice cuts through the darkness like a guillotine. Shoving past Natsu and Gray, she flicks the lights on to illuminate the scene.

Gray winces, eyes stinging from the sudden brightness while his vision tries to adjust. When he can see clearly again, Erza is hunched over a drenched figure in black robes who lies face down on the wooden floor. Behind her Natsu stands protectively in front of Lucy, who is armed with celestial keys in one hand and a table lamp in the other. And positioned next to them…

Gray's heart rate increases—this time not from dread, but from an entirely different reason. Juvia is poised in a guarded stance, right arm still extended after the completion of her Water Lock spell. But what catches his attention is her very abnormal attire. A lacy white slip of a nightgown clings seductively to her every curve; a stark contrast to her usual shroud of dark clothing.

"J-J-Juvia, what are you wearing?!" He finds himself stuttering. It takes considerable willpower to stanch the blood rushing to his face and other more embarrassing regions.

Juvia's eyes shift from her unconscious opponent and scarcely graze Gray before her complexion glows bright red. With a string of incoherent squeaks, she dives behind Lucy for cover.

"Sorry, Juvia." The blonde turns to her friend now that the intruder is incapacitated. "I wasn't expecting people to come barging in when I asked you to wear that. But look at it this way— you're still wearing plenty compared to Gray!"

_She is? _The ice mage looks down to discover his lack of a shirt. Or pants. Or underwear. Well, it's not his fault he sleeps naked and didn't have time to scrounge around for clothes just now.

"Oi, Natsu! Lend me your pants!" He blinks at his rival's pink boxers. "On second thought…"

"Like I'd lend them to you anyway!" Natsu makes a crude gesture at him.

"Quit the antics and cover yourself already. There are innocent eyes in the room!"

A crowd of Fairy Tail members in various states of wakefulness and undress have gathered around the entryway. Charle is perched over Wendy's shoulders, furry white paws clamped tightly over the young girl's eyes. From the way she glares at him, Gray half expects her to start hissing like a normal cat.

"Here," Lisanna grabs a towel out of Lucy's bathroom and hands it to Gray unabashedly. He has been stripping since the day he joined Fairy Tail and she has long gotten used to it.

"Thanks." He ties the towel around his waist and raises an eyebrow at Charle. The flying cat examines him critically before finally uncovering Wendy's eyes with an indignant huff.

"I'm older than you, you know…" The little dragon slayer mutters under her breath. Charle pretends not to hear.

"Now that that's taken care of, there's something you all need to see." Erza's serious tone garners immediate attention. With a flick of her wrist, she pulls back the hood of their comatose intruder. Damp blonde hair clings to a shockingly familiar face.

"LUCY?!" The guild shouts in an unsynchronized chorus.

"EH?!" The pajama clad Lucy shrieks, gawking at her black robed counterpart.

There is a stretch of incoherent mumbling as many eyes dart back and forth between the two Lucy's. Mirajane joins Erza and kneels next to the unconscious Lucy. She touches the girl's forehead lightly and closes her eyes in concentration.

"It's not transformation magic," she concludes.

Natsu sniffs at the Lucy standing next to him and the Lucy collapsed on the floor. "They smell the same to me. I don't know any magic that can do that."

"Hmm..." Makarov strokes his beard thoughtfully. "The best way to figure this out is to ask her ourselves. Wendy…"

"Yes!" Wendy's small hands glow with magic as she begins to revive the second Lucy. Erza requips a sword and stands guard as a precaution.

The fallen blonde stirs with a low groan. Cinnamon brown eyes part groggily to meet the guild's curious stares. "You… probably want an explanation…" Though weak, her voice is identical to Lucy's.

"That would be ideal." Lucy says to her double. "Who are you, and why did you sneak into my room?"

"I was just trying to talk to you. I didn't expect you to start screaming."

_Of course I'd scream! A creepy black shadow was looming over me! _Lucy's brow twitches.

"I also wasn't expecting Juvia to be there to beat me up…"

"Sorry!" Juvia yelps. "Juvia thought you were going to harm Lucy."

Lucy's lookalike manages a tired smile of forgiveness. "It's alright… Perhaps it's best that the whole guild is gathered now. This may be hard to believe, but I am Lucy from a different time. I traveled here from the future. Fiore… no, Earthland itself is in grave danger. An invasion of over ten thousand dragons will occur on July 7th. Countless lives will be lost… a massacre of humans."

Shocked silence.

"Are… You… Freaking…. SERIOUS?!" Natsu screams at the top of his lungs.

"We're DOOMED!" Happy joins unhappily.

"My eardrums…" Pantherlily rubs at his fuzzy black ears.

"Quick, what day is today?!" Gray demands. The only dragon he has ever met is Acnologia, who is apparently many times stronger than a typical dragon. He tries to imagine what they're facing. _Let's be generous and say 1 Acnologia equals 100 normal dragons. 10,000 divided by 100 equals 100. So… we're up against 100 Acnologias?! Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit…._

"Today is July 4th-" Juvia glances at the wall clock, which reads 3:46AM. "Actually, July 5th now. Two days before Lucy says the attack will occur." She has momentarily forgotten her revealing attire and no longer hides behind present Lucy. Gray discreetly scoots over to conceal her from the more perverted men of Fairy Tail. He's already got his hands full with Lyon, thank you very much.

"So we have two days to find a way to kick ten thousand dragon asses." Gajeel cracks his knuckles.

"You guys… believe me?" Future Lucy's expression is the epitome of surprised confusion.

"Did you make it all up?!" A flabbergasted Natsu exclaims.

"No, of course not! It's just that… it's so out there. I didn't think you'd accept it at face value…"

Natsu's flustered air dissipates. "I would never doubt the words coming out of Lucy's mouth," he states seriously.

Both celestial spirit mages smile tenderly at his sincerity.

"As stupid as Natsu is, he's got pretty sharp intuition when it comes to his nakama. If he trusts you, it's safe for the rest of us to trust you too." Gray adds. Juvia moves out of Gray's shadow to nod her head ardently in agreement. He quickly side-steps to hide her from view.

"Yeah! Wait… you just insulted me didn't you?!" Natsu shakes a flaming fist at Gray.

Gray doesn't answer, distracted by Juvia tapping on his back. He looks over his shoulder to meet puzzled sapphire orbs. Juvia tilts her head, silently asking why he insists on standing directly in front of her. He reaches to tug at the lacy hem of her short nightgown, inadvertently brushing his fingers against the soft skin of her upper thigh, right along her guild mark. Both of them blush healthily and Gray hastily turns back around.

Juvia struggles to tame her hammering heart and burning cheeks. _Juvia is so embarrassed! She never should have worn this thing!_ Now that she remembers her revealing outfit, she is relieved Gray is protecting her modesty from the rest of Fairy Tail. 'Thank you,' she traces the words slowly across his bare back with her pointer finger.

Gray barely suppresses a shudder from the exquisite sensation. _You're welcome, but I reeeeally need to have a talk with you about being unintentionally erotic._

Natsu cocks his head to the side when his rival ignores him. "You okay? You look kinda like Lucy when she's constipated."

"I told you not to talk about that!" Both Lucy's shout in unison.

"You really are me…" Present Lucy eyes her other self. Somehow it doesn't feel as odd talking to herself as it should. Perhaps it's because of her experience with Edolas-Lucy and Gemini.

"Yeah." Future Lucy confirms, feeling similarly.

"Hey, other Lucy," Laxus utters gruffly. "You got some kind of plan to stop the dragons? You came here to change the future, didn't you?"

Future Lucy grits her teeth and looks down in shame. "Forgive me… I was in a daze when I rushed here from the future. I didn't have time to think things through. I haven't the faintest of ideas on how to prevent what's about to happen. And not only that, the past is slightly… different than I remember."

Laki pushes her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose. "Can you clarify?"

The blonde nods solemnly. "I only arrived yesterday. I was hoping to travel farther back in time, but I didn't know how to control the Eclipse Gate. I wandered around a little trying to figure out what I should do, and somehow ended up at the tournament stadium. It looked like the competition portion had just ended and they were preparing the stadium for the tag team battle. I was expecting to see Natsu defeat Sting and Rogue—"

"Awesome! I knew I could whip their asses!" Natsu exclaims. Present Lucy pinches his ear for interrupting and signals her twin to continue.

"But a heavy rain started pouring and the battle got postponed." She pauses to look at her past self. "I decided to find you to figure things out. This is the same room that I had in the past, but I didn't share it with Juvia."

"It's an impromptu sleepover," Lucy explains.

"I see…" Future Lucy furrows her brows and adds this to her growing list of timeline differences.

"There's no need to worry over such things." A wispy voice offers.

"Master Mavis!"

The fairy-like spirit of the guild's first master smiles gently, seeming to materialize out of thin air. "Long ago, I was known as the Fairy Strategist. I led Fairy Tail to many victories with my ability to predict enemy movements. But, once in a while, my predictions would completely fall apart. Do you know why?"

She gives future Lucy a moment to reflect.

"The power of decisions," she continues. "No matter how accurate my calculations, humans are intricate beings with the power to choose their destinies. Given identical situations, it is not guaranteed that people will make the same choices. Though unlikely, now and then they act slightly differently than I anticipate. Sometimes nothing comes of it. Other times that action influences someone else, who influences the next person, and so on until all my predictions are rendered inaccurate."

She glances imperceptibly at a blue haired woman peeking at her from behind Gray. "Even a butterfly can start hurricanes if it flaps its wings at just the right time."

The water mage blinks._ Is she looking at Juvia?_

Mavis grins heartily. "The future is already changing, Lucy. It's no use dwelling on what has or hasn't happened in the past. From now on we forge a new future. Believe in your nakama, for we surely won't allow your bleak future to pass!"

"Yeah!" The guild bustles in agreement.

"Crocus has the largest library in all of Fiore. I'll start researching as soon as it opens!" Levy volunteers.

"I'll help!" Laki offers, quickly followed by most of Fairy Tail.

Tears of gratitude well in future Lucy's eyes. "Everyone…" She tries to say more, but she is choked with emotion.

Natsu fondly places a hand on her head. "Thank you for coming all this way to warn us. Leave the rest to us."

The sound of Elfman yawning is nearly as loud as a lion's roar. He scratches his head with slight embarrassment when everyone stops to look at him. "Even a man yawns when he's tired, you know?"

Romeo tries to stifle a much quieter yawn.

"Go back to sleep, my brats." Makarov chuckles affectionately. "Nothing more can be done at this time of night—er, morning. We'll regroup in the lobby when the sun is up."

"I'll contact Jellal about all this. His investigations from the past seven years should be useful." Erza comments, a slight smile on her face as she thinks about the blue-haired man. Though he has the option to sleep in a comfortable bed as part of Fairy Tail Team B, he opts to camp at the outskirts of Crocus with Ultear and Meredy as part of his repentance. _You silly man, I forgave you long ago._

"Yes, please do." Makarov nods as he begins shooing his children back to their rooms.

As their guild mates trickle out of Lucy's room, Juvia waves goodbye to the two celestial mages. "Juvia will go back to her own room so you have space to sleep together. Thank you for having her over; it was fun."

"Yeah, let's do this again after we save the world," Lucy waves back while her future self quietly observes.

"I'll walk you to your room." Gray takes Juvia's hand stiffly, awkwardly— uncomfortable yet determined to do this despite the blondes' prying eyes.

When they leave the room he hears Lucy's voice distantly.

"Did they finally get together?"

"Not exactly, but boy do I have some juicy gossip for you!" An impish giggle follows.

_Lucy's gonna gossip about me… with herself. _Gray isn't sure how he should feel about this.

The couple stops outside Juvia's door. Silence stretches between them like a vast desert, both of them unsure how to act after recent events.

"Uh… well, good night then." Gray reluctantly releases Juvia's hand and turns to head for his room.

"W-wait!" Juvia catches his arm and gulps when he aims his full attention at her. She finds herself staring at her feet while she tries to compose herself.

"About last night," her face flushes at the memory of their kiss. Their current state of undress really isn't helping matters. "Juvia gave it some thought, but her heart isn't ready to choose yet. She doesn't know Lyon very well, and she isn't used to Gray being…" She pauses to search for the right word.

"Not used to me being something other than a cold, unappreciative dickhead?" Gray suggests with a quirk of an eyebrow. He had meant it as a self-depreciating joke, but there is too much truth in it to be funny.

"Th-that's not what Juvia was going to say!" She waves her hands frantically in denial.

"But it's kind of true," he mutters guiltily.

"NO!" A twinge of anger courses through her. "Juvia isn't used to you being receptive to her feelings, but that doesn't make her think less of you. You were the first to show Juvia kindness, and you always do your best for your nakama. Juvia thinks you're a great person, so don't… don't call yourself bad names!"

A cool hand rests on the crown of her head, soothing her temper. Gray's eyes bore into hers, roiling like a midnight storm. She wonders what he's thinking.

"I get it, Juvia. Sorry, and… thanks."

"Um, it's okay." She fidgets and stares at her toes, suddenly shy from the intensity of his gaze. "With everything that's happening right now, Juvia might not be ready to make a decision for a while. If you don't want to wait," her heart clenches painfully, but she forges forward. "I… I'll understand if you don't want to wait for—"

"I'll wait."

Juvia's eyes snap back up to meet Gray's. If anything, the heat in his eyes has managed to grow even hotter.

"I'll wait." He repeats when she does nothing but gape.

Her heart flutters in her chest. He speaks with such conviction— such confidence. "Why?" The question escapes unbidden.

"Because you're worth it."

* * *

**A/N:**

Hello my friends, it's been a while! Thank you for being patient with me, your support is absolutely wonderful. :D Times are getting better, and I have internet again. Hurray!

When I started this story I wanted to write it as a believable alternative to what happens in the manga. I wanted to have my own twist on the storyline, while still respecting the basis of Mashima's story. And now I've encountered a bit of a pickle… It seems the Grand Magic Games arc is longer and more complicated than I had anticipated, so I'm having trouble continuing this story without waiting for Mashima to reveal all his cards.

Now I have two options:

1) Continue writing my version of the story until the end of the Grand Magic Games/Save the World arc. This will require me to wait on manga updates and pull the story a little more toward the action/adventure genre. There will still be plenty of our favorite love triangle, but the story will also focus on how the dragons are stopped. The story will be longer than option 2, which is…

2) Leave the story of how Fiore is saved open-ended. It will still play a role, but its conclusion won't be written. This means I don't have to rely on Mashima's updates as much since I don't need to write an actual solution to stopping the dragons. The ending will occur after Juvia makes her decision between Gray and Lyon.

I am currently leaning toward option 2, though I have ideas in my head for both options. I would greatly appreciate your opinions on the matter. :)

I tried my best to reply to all reviewers who were signed in. If I missed you, let me know and I will definitely get back to you!

Special thanks to guest reviewers: Jeni, tindra, Anonymme, Juvelia, aliceyv, Hitodetumblr, Kiara, Layla, penguin trainer, Laury Rose, EpicJinx, Kimberlouxxx, Kibalicious, Tricia, Ayame, Mimi317, and unnamed Guests.

-Jesus Christ: Nice name you got there! Don't worry about the essay. I appreciate the time you took to let me know your thoughts.

-Maolai: Thank you for taking the time to write such a sincere review, and sorry I didn't get a chance to reply sooner. Your encouragement is really amazing :'D


End file.
